CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(i\Aonographs) 


iCMH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


CanadlMi  Imtttut*  for  Hltiorical  Micraraprodiictioiw  /  Intlitut  Canadian  da  micrarapraductiona  hiatofiquaa 


1995 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  technique  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  tor  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibllographlcally  unique,  which  may  alter  any  of 
the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checked  below. 


El 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couveiture  de  couleur 


I     I     Covers  damaged  / 

' — '     Couverture  endocnmagte 

r~]     Covers  restored  and^or  laminated/ 

—  Couv8rti>rerestaurteal/oupelllcuWe 

I     I     Cover  title  missing /Le  litre  de  couverture  manque 

I     I     Coloured  maps/ Canes  gSographiques  en  couleur 

[/]     Cokxired  Ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 

Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

I     I     Cokxired  plates  and/or  iHustratkxis/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustratkxis  en  couleur 

I     I     Bound  with  other  material/ 

—  ReMavecd'autras  documents 

I     I     Only  edition  avaHaUe/ 
' — '     Seule  Mtkxi  disponible 

I  I  Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin  /  La  reliure  serrAe  peut 
causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorekm  le  kmg  de 
la  marge  intMeure. 

I  I  Blank  leaves  added  during  resloiBltons  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have 
been  omitted  from  timing  /  II  se  peut  que  certaines 
pages  biancties  ajouties  km  dune  restauratkm 
appaiaissent  dans  le  lexte,  mais,  kmque  eels  «lait 
possXile,  ces  pages  n'cnt  pas  M  Mmies. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  mellleur  exampiaire  qu'il  lul  a 
«6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cat  exem- 
plaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographkiue,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modifications  dans  la  m6th- 
ode  normale  de  filmage  sont  Indiqute  ci-dessous. 

Q     Cokxired  pages/ Pages  de  couleur 

I     I      ''ages  damaged/ Pages  sndommagtes 

I     I      Pages  restored  an«or  laminated/ 
— '      Pages  rsstaurdeset/oupefficuWes 

r/l      Pa9"  discotoured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
■^      Pages  dicok)r*es,tachel«esoupk|u«es 

Q      Pages  detached/ Pages  ditach«es 

[7]     Showlhrough/ Transparence 

0     duality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualitiinaaaladal'imi 


D 
D 


n 


Quanta  inigale  de  I'impresskin 

Includes  supplenwntafy  material  / 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppiamentaire 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  enata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  relilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image  /  Les  pages 
totalement  ou  partiellament  obacurcies  par  un 
feuillet  d'enata,  une  pelure,  etc.,  ont  iti  filmtes 
a  nouveau  de  fa(on  i  obtenir  la  meilleure 
image  f-"' 


Opposing  pages  wnn  v^irying  colouration  or 
discoiourations  aw  filmed  twk:e  to  ensure  the 
best  possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant 
ayant  des  colorations  variables  ou  des  dacol- 
oretk>ns  sont  filmtes  deux  lois  afin  d'obtenir  la 
meilleur  image  possible. 


D 


AddKonal  commenls  / 
CommentaiiBS  sifvUmentaires: 


ThH  item  is  filmed  at  the  raduetian  ratio  dMcked  bHaml 

Ct  aooMMnt  <n  f  ilm*  au  tau«  *  rMuctioii  ndi«i«  ci^nHM. 


lOX 
1       1 

^^^ 

14X 

itx 

sx 

2SX 

3ax 

D 

v/ 

~ 

D 

□ 

12X 

itx 

20X 

34X 

2ax 

^■^ 

32X 

Th*  copv  (ilnwd  h«ra  hM  b««n  raproduead  thanlu 
M  tiM  9WMfoaity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'aaamplair*  filmt  fut  raproduil  gric*  t  la 
gdntreait*  da: 

Blbliothiqua  natlonala  du  Canada 


Tha  JmagM  appaaring  hara  ara  itM  baat  quality 
pouibla  eonaidaring  tha  condition  and  Jogibility 
of  iho  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  witn  Uw 
filming  eontraet  apocificationa. 


Original  eopioa  in  printad  pap«r  covara  ara  fUmad 
baginning  wiiti  tha  treni  covor  and  anding  on 
ma  laai  paga  with  a  printad  or  ilhwtratad  impraa- 
aion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  approprlata.  All 
othor  original  eopiaa  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tho 
firai  pa«a  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
aien.  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  impraaaion. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  "^  Imoaning  "CON- 
TINUED"!, or  tha  symbol  V  Imaaning  "END"), 
whiehawar  appliaa. 

Mapa.  platas.  ehartt.  ate.  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduetion  ratios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraiy  Includad  in  ena  axposurs  ara  filmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  eomar.  laft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framas  as 
raquirad.  Tha  following  diagrams  illuslrata  tha 
mattiod: 


Las  Imsgas  suivantas  ont  M  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  cempta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  I'aaamplaira  film*,  at  an 
eonformitd  avac  laa  conditions  du  central  da 
fUmaga. 

Laa  aasmplairas  eriglnauv  dont  la  couvartura  mn 
papiar  aat  imprimia  sont  fllmSs  an  commancani 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  salt  par  la 
darnidra  paga  qui  comporta  urM  amprainia 
d'Impraasion  ou  d'lllustration.  solt  par  la  sacond 
plat,  aalon  la  eaa.  Toua  laa  autras  axamplairas 
originaua  sant  fllmda  an  commancant  par  la 
pramMro  paga  qui  compona  una  amprainta 
dlmpraasion  eu  d'iHustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darnidra  paga  qui  comporta  una  lalla 
amprainta. 

Un  daa  symbolaa  suivanu  apparaitra  sur  la 
damidra  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha.  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbela  -^  aignifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
symbola  ▼  signifia  "FIN". 

Laa  cartaa.  planchaa,  ubiaaux.  ttQ..  pauwant  aira 
fllmds  t  daa  uuii  da  rdduction  diffdrants. 
Lorsqus  la  document  ast  trap  grand  pour  *tia 
raproduit  an  un  saul  clichd.  il  ast  fllmd  d  partir 
da  I'angia  supdriaur  gsucha.  da  gaucha  d  droita, 
at  da  haut  an  baa,  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'imagaa  ndeassaira.  Laa  diagrammaa  suivants 
iUuatrant  la  mdthoda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5. 

6 

MKIOCOrr   MSOUITION   TBT  OMIT 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


■it  1^ 


■  25 
12.0 


^  APPLIED  IIVMGE    Inc 

^^S  1653  east  Main  StrMt 

BRS  Rochntar.  Htw  York        14609       US* 

F^  (716)  402  -  0300  -  Phorw 

^5  (716)  288  -  M89  -  Fox 


THIEVBS'  WIT 

BULBBKT  VOOTNBR 


THIEVES'  WIT 

An  Everyday  Detective  Story 


BT 

HULBERT  FOOTNER 

AUTHOR  or  "IHB  SBAUD  VAIXEY,"  "JACK  CSAMTY,"  ETC. 


NEW  ''iBr  YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


(.    ri 


c^P'ii^ 


2S6069 


Copjfright,  1918, 
By  Otorgt  H.  Donn  Company 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


•i 


I 


THIEVES'  WIT 


MY  first  easel— with  what  an  agreeable  thrill 
a  professional  man  repeats  the  words  to  him- 
self. With  most  men  I  believe  it  is  as  it  was  with 
me,  not  the  case  that  he  intrigues  for  and  expects  to 
gt  but  something  q:ite  different,  that  drops  out  of 
Heaven  unexpected  and  undeserved  like  most  of 
the  good  things  of  life. 

Every  now  and  then  m  an  expansive  moment  I 
teU  the  story  of  my  case,  or  part  of  it,  whereupon 
something  like  the  following  invariably  succeeds: 
"Why  don't  you  write  it  down  ?" 
"I  never  learned  the  trade  of  writing." 
"But  detective  stories  are  so  popular  1" 
"Yes,  because  the  detective  is  a  romantic  figure, 
.  hero,  gifted  with  almost  superhuman  keenness 
and  mfaUibility.     Nobody  ever  accused  me  of  being 
romantic.     I  am  only  an  ordinary  fellow  who  plugs 
away  like  any  other  business  man.     Every  day  I  am 
up  against  it;  I  fall  down;  some  crook  turns  a  trick 
on  me.     What  kind  of  a  story  would  that  make?" 
"But  that's  what  people  want  nowadays,  the  real 
tmng,  stories  of  the  streets  day  by  day." 
7 


8 


Thieves'  Wit 


Well,  I  have  succumbed.  Here  goes  for  better 
or  for  worse. 

Before  beginning  I  should  explain  that  though  it 
was  my  first  case  I  was  no  longer  in  the  first  bloom 
of  youth.  I  was  along  in  the  thirties  before  I  got 
my  start  and  had  lost  a  deal  of  hair  from  my 
cranium.  This  enabled  me  to  pass  for  ten  years 
older  if  I  wished  to,  and  still  with  the  assistance  of 
my  friend  Oscar  Nilson  the  wig-maker  I  could  make 
a  presentable  figure  of  youth  and  innocence. 

During  my  earlier  days  I  had  been  a  clerk  in  a 
railway  freight  offict,  a  poor  slave  with  only  my 
dreams  to  keep  me  going.  My  father  had  no  sym- 
pathy with  my  aspirations  to  be  a  detective.  He 
was  a  dose-mouthed  and  a  close-fisted  man.  But 
when  he  died,  after  having  been  kept  on  scanty  ra- 
tions for  years,  the  old  lady  and  I  found  ourselves 
quite  comfortably  off. 

I  promptly  shook  the  dust  of  the  freight  oiEce 
from  my  feet  and  set  about  carrying  some  of  the 
dreams  into  effect.  I  rented  a  littl-  office  on  For- 
tieth street  (twenty  dollars  a  month),  furnished  it 
discreetly,  and  had  my  name  painted  in  neat  char- 
acters on  the  frosted  g^ass  of  the  door:  "B.  En- 
derby" — no  more.  Lord  1  how  proud  I  was  of  the 
outfit 

I  bought  a  fire-proof  document  file  for  cases,  and 
had  some  note-paper  and  cards  printed  in  the  same 
neat  style: 

B.  ENDERBY 
Confidential  Investigator 


Thieves'  Wit  9 

You  see  I  wished  to  avoid  the  sensational.  I  was 
not  looking  for  any  common  divorce  evidence  busi- 
ness. Since  I  had  enough  to  exist  on,  I  was  deter- 
mined to  wait  for  important,  high-priced,  kid-glove 
cases. 

And  I  waited — more  than  a  year  in  fact.  But  it 
was  a  delightful  time  I  Fellows  were  always  drop- 
ping  m  to  smoke  and  chin.  My  little  office  became 
like  our  club.  You  see  I  had  missed  all  this  when 
I  was  a  boy.  Any  youngster  who  has  ever  been 
speeded  up  in  a  big  clerical  office  will  understand 
how  good  It  was.  Meanwhile  I  studied  crime  in 
all  Its  aspects. 

I  worked,  too,  at  another  ambition  which  I  shared 
with  a  few  million  of  my  fellow-creatures,  viz. :  to 
write  a  successful  play.  I  started  a  dozen  and  fin- 
ished one.  I  thought  it  was  a  wonder  of  brilliancy 
then.  I  have  learned  better.  In  pursuance  of  this 
aim  I  had  to  attend  the  theatre  a  good  deal,  and 
from  the  top  gallery  I  learned  something  about 
actors  and  actresses  if  not  how  to  write  a  great  play. 

I  mention  the  play-writing  for  it  was  that  which 
brought  me  my  first  case.  I  used  to  haunt  the  of- 
fice of  a  certain  prominent  play-broker  who  was  al- 
ways  promising  to  read  my  play  and  never  did.  One 
afternoon  in  the  up-stairs  corridor  of  the  building 
where  she  had  her  offices  I  came  face  to  face  with 
the  famous  Irma  Hamerton. 

Nowadays  Irma  is  merely  a  tradition  of  loveliness 
and  grace.  Theatregoers  of  this  date  have  nothing 
like  her  to  rejoice  their  eyes.     Then,  to  us  humble 


10 


Thieves'  Wit 


fellows  she  stood  for  the  rarest  essence  of  life,  the 
ideal,  the  unattainable — call  it  what  you  like.  Tall, 
slender  and  dark,  with  a  voice  that  played  on  your 
heartstrings,  she  was  one  of  the  fortunate  ones  of 
earth.  She  had  always  been  a  star,  always  an  idol 
of  the  public.  Not  only  did  I  and  my  gang  never 
miss  a  show  in  which  she  appeared,  but  we  would  sit 
up  half  the  night  afterwards  talking  about  her. 
None  of  us  naturally  had  ever  dreamed  of  seeing 
her  face  to  face. 

We  met  at  a  corner  of  the  corridor,  and  almost 
collided.  I  forgot  my  manners  entirely.  My  eyes 
almost  popped  out  of  my  head.  I  wished  to  fix  that 
moment  in  my  life  forever.  Imagine  my  confusion 
when  I  saw  that  she  was  crying,  that  glorious  crea- 
ture I — actually  the  tears  were  running  down  her  soft 
cheeks  like  any  conmior  woman's.  Do  you  wonder 
that  a  kind  of  convulsion  took  place  inside  me? 

Seeing  me,  she  quickly  turned  her  head,  but  it  was 
too  late,  I  had  already  seen  them  stealing  like  dia- 
monds down  her  cheeks.  I  stared  at  her  like  a 
clown,  and  like  a  clown  I  blurted  out  without  think- 
ing: 

"Oh,  what's  the  matter?" 

She  didn't  answer  me,  of  course.  She  merely  hur- 
ried faster  down  the  hall,  and  turned  the  next  cor- 
ner. 

When  I  realised  what  I  had  done  I  felt  like  butting 
my  silly  head  through  one  of  the  glass  partitions 
that  lined  the  corridor.  I  called  myself  all  the  names 
in  my  vocabulary.     I  clean  forgot  my  own  errand  in 


Thieves'  Wit  n 

the  building,  and  went  back  to  my  oiEce  muttering 
to  myself  in  the  streets  like  a  lunatic. 

I  was  glad  no  one  dropped  in.  In  my  mind  I  went 
over  the  scene  of  the  meeting  a  hundred  times  I  sup- 
pose, and  made  up  what  I  ought  to  have  said  and 
done,  more  ridiculous  I  expect  than  what  had  hap- 
pened.  What  bothered  me  was  that  she  would  think 
I  was  just  a  common  fresh  guy.  I  couldn't  rest  un- 
derthat.  So  I  started  to  write  her  a  note.  I  wrote 
half  a  dozen  and  tore  them  up.  The  one  I  sent 
ran  like  this:— I  blush  to  think  of  it  now— 

Miss  Irma  Hamerton, 
Dear  Madam: 

The  undcMigned  met  you  in  the  corridor  of  the 
Manhattan  Theatre  Buifding  this  afternoon  about 
three.  You  seemed  to  be  in  distress,  and  I  was  so 
surprised  I  forgot  myself  and  addressed  you.  I  hctt 
that  you  wiU  accept  my  apology  for  the  seeminj 
rudeness.  I  have  seen  you  m  all  your  plays,  many 
of  them  several  times  over,  and  I  have  received  so 

[!l"M"l""-^™'"  y"*""  *•=*'"&  and  I  respect  you 
so  highly  that  It  is  very  painful  to  me  to  think  tLt 
I  may  have  added  to  your  distress  by  my  rudeness. 

JenSSSr  '^^  °"'^  '^'""'''"""  "^  -^  - 
Yours  respectfully, 

B.  Enderby. 

The  instant  after  I  had  posted  this  letter  I  would 
have  given  half  I  possessed  to  get  it  back  again  It 
suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  it  would  only  make 
matters  worse.     Either  it  would  seem  like  an  im- 


12 


Thieves'  Wit 


pertinent  attempt  to  pry  into  her  private  affair*,  or 
a  bold  move  to  follow  up  my  original  rudencM.  A 
real  gentleman  would  not  have  (aid  anything  about 
the  teari,  I  told  myself.  My  cheeks  got  hot,  but  it 
was  too  late  to  recall  the  letter.  I  was  thoroughly 
miserable.  I  did  not  tell  any  of  my  friends  what 
had  happ'ied. 

That  night  I  went  alone  to  see  her  play.  Lost 
in  her  part  of  course  and  hidden  under  her  makeup 
she  betrayed  nothing.  There  was  always  a  sugges- 
tion of  sadness  about  hur,  even  in  comedy.  When 
that  lovely  deep  voice  trembled,  a  corresponding 
shiver  went  up  and  aown  your  spine. 

I  thought  about  her  all  the  way  home.  My  de- 
tective instinct  was  aroused.  I  tried  to  figure  out 
what  could  be  her  trouble.  There  are  only  four 
kinds  of  really  desperate  trouble:  ill-health,  death, 
loss  of  money,  and  unrequited  love.  To  look  at  her 
in  the  daylight  without  make-up  was  enou^  to  dis- 
pose  of  the  first.  It  was  said  that  she  had  no  close 
relatives,  therefore  she  couldn't  have  lost  any  re- 
cently. As  for  money,  surely  with  her  earning  ca- 
pacity she  had  no  need  to  trouble  about  that. 
Finally,  how  could  it  be  an  affair  of  the  heart?  Was 
there  a  man  alive  who  would  not  have  cast  himself 
at  her  feet  if  she  had  turned  a  warm  glance  In  his 
direction?  Rich,  successful  and  adored  as  she  was, 
I  had  to  give  it  up. 

About  five  o'clock  the  next  afternoon  the  surprise 
of  my  life  was  administered  to  me.  I  received  a 
large,  square,  buff-coloured  envelope  with  a  brown 


Thieves'  V',i  13 

border,  and  written  upon  with  brown  ink  in  immenie, 

bled  with  a  delicioui  foreboding  of  what  was  iniide. 
ineanwh.N  better  sense  was  telling  me  not  to  be  a 
tool.     It  contained  a  card  on  which  was  written : 

£«S«  Jr*?  ^ai"'""'  ^"  >>'  9l»d  to  see  Mr.  B. 
TheHjA  ,?"'j  *'  'convenient  for  him  to  call  a, 
the  Hotel  Rotterdam  at  noon  on  Thursday." 

un^Zu  """""t'  IT"'^  "'  ''•  '^''"^-  Then  I  went 
office.  Finally  I  rushed  out  to  the  most  fashionable 
outfitters  to  get  a  new  suit  before  closing  time. 
Thursday  was  the  next  day. 


I  HAD  never  been  inside  tliat  exduiive  of  ex- 
duwve  hotelf,  the  Rotterdtm.  I  confeia  that 
my  kneei  were  a  little  infirm  at  I  went  through  the 
•wing  doon,  and  passed  before  the  nonchalant,  in- 
diBerent  eyes  of  the  handsome  footmen  in  blue  liv- 
eries. "Ahh,  they're  only  overgrown  bell-hops  I"  I 
told  myself  encouragingly,  and  fixed  the  Marruis  be- 
hmd  the  desk  with  a  haughty  stare. 

Walking  in  a  dream  I  presently  found  myself  be- 
ing shown  into  a  corner  room  high  up  in  the  build- 
mg.  I  was  left  there  alone,  and  I  had  a  chance  to 
look  around.  I  had  never  seen  anything  like  it, 
except  on  the  stage.  It  was  decorated  in  what  I 
think  they  caU  the  Empire  style,  with  walls  of  white 
paneUed  wood,  picked  out  with  gold,  and  pretty 
curiously  shaped  furniture.  Everywhere  there  were 
great  bunches  of  pink  roses,  picked  that  morning, 
you  could  see,  with  petals  still  moist.  It  smelled 
like  Heaven  might. 

That  was  all  I  had  time  to  take  m  when  the  door 
opened,  and  she  entered.  She  was  wearing  a  pink 
lacy  sort  of  thing  that  went  with  the  roses.  She 
didn  t  mmd  me,  of  course.  She  was  merely  polite 
and  casual.  But  just  the  same  I  could  see  that  she 
was   ueeply   troubled   about   something.     Trouble 


Thieves'  Wit 


15 


Make*  «  beautiful 


make*  a  woman'*  eye*  big. 
woman  twice  a*  beautiful. 

She  went  to  the  point  a*  *traight  a*  a  buUet 
^^I  .uppo.e  you  are  wondering  why  I  ,e„t  for 

I  confe**ed  that  I  wai. 

"It  wa*  the  heading  on  your  letter  paper.    What 
te^ctive"?"'"""  ^^  '""'''^"'''»'  inve*tigator'-a  de- 

te clitrit!;!"  ""'"  ''^"  *■""  -"  "*""^  '- 

write  to*  met"''  ***  """*"  *"''''•  ""^^y  ^'J  y°» 

,nl^^°°^  T  •'y '"T"*'-     "There  wa*  no  rea- 
.o,v-«cept  what  the  letter  *aid,"  I  *tammered. 

Several  other  que.tion*  followed,  by  which  I  ,aw 
•he  wa*  trymg  to  get  a  line  on  mc.  I  offered  Iier 
reference*.    She  accepted  them  inatteiUively. 

♦h!nl   f  "*..'"!'""  *°  ""'•^''  »''«  other  people 
thmk  of  you,"  *he  .aid.     "I  have  to  make  Gp  my 

I  Z"" %«.'!' °1"  '""'* ''■^' ''"» injtrument,," 
~L  "•'^ ""  questions." 

This  *cemed  to  please  her.    After  some  further 

It  seen,  ,d  to  me  from  your  letter  that  you  had  a  good 

ScUI      T  l""^  that  perhaps  more  than  detertive 

J  J  h^^  '"  »  W«2C  of  publicity.     I  am  sur- 

lZtfJL'T"\    ^''.^  P-hing'^thick-sLned 
sort  of  people  force  themselves  do,e  to  me,  and  the 


i6 


Thieves'  Wit 


kind  that  I  like  avoid  me,  I  fear.  I  am  not  sure  of 
whom  I  can  trust.  I  am  very  sure  that  if  I  put  my 
business  in  the  hands  of  the  regular  people  it  would 
soon  become  a  matter  of  common  knowledge." 

Her  simplicity  and  sadness  affected  me  deeply. 
I  could  do  nothing  but  protest  my  honesty  and  my 
devotion. 

"I  am  satisfied,"  she  said  at  last.  "Are  you  very 
busy  at  present?" 

"Tolerably,"  I  said  with  a  busy  air.  It  would 
never  have  done  to  let  her  think  otherwise. 

"I  would  like  you  to  take  my  case,"  she  said  with 
an  enchanting  note  of  appeal,  "but  it  would  have  to 
be  on  the  condition  that  you  attended  to  it  your- 
self, solely.  I  would  have  to  ask  you  to  agree  not 
to  delegate  any  part  of  it  to  even  the  most  trusted 
of  your  employees." 

This  was  easy,  since  I  didn't  have  any. 

"You  must,  please,  further  agree  not  to  take  any 
steps  without  consulting  me  in  advance,  and  you 
must  not  mind — perhaps  I  might  call  the  whole  thing 
off  at  any  moment.     But  of  course  I  would  pay  you." 

I  quickly  agreed  to  the  conditions. 

"I  have  been  robbed  of  a  pearl  necklace,"  she 
said  with  an  air  of  infinite  sadness. 

I  did  not  need  to  be  told  that  there  was  more  in 
this  than  the  ordinary  actress'-stolen-jewels  case. 
Irma  Hamerton  didn't  need  that  kind  of  advertis- 
ing. She  was  morbidly  anxious  that  there  should 
be  no  advertising  in  this. 

"It  was  a  single  strand  of  sixty-seven  black  pearls 


Thieves'  Wit 


17 


ranging  in  size  from  a  currant  down  to  a  pea.  They 
were  perfectly  matched,  and  each  stone  had  a  curi- 
ous,  bluish  cast,  which  is,  I  believe,  quite  rare.  As 
jewels  go  nowadays,  it  was  not  an  exceptionally  val- 
uable necklace,  worth  about  twenty-six  thousand  dol- 
lars. It  represented  my  entire  savings.  I  have  a 
passion  for  pearls.  These  were  exceptionally  per- 
fect and  beautiful.  They  were  the  result  of  years 
of  search  and  selection.  Jewellers  call  them  blue 
pearls.     I  will  show  you  what  they  looked  like." 

She  went  into  the  adjoining  room  for  a  moment, 
retummg  with  a  string  of  dusky,  gleaming  pearls 
hanging  from  her  hand.  Tkey  were  lovely  things. 
My  unaccustomed  eyes  could  not  distinguish  the  blue 
m  them  until  she  pointed  it  out.  It  was  like  the  last 
gleam  of  light  in  the  evening  sky. 

"The  lost  necklace  was  exactly  like  this,"  she  said. 
"Had  you  two?"  I  asked  in  surprise. 
She  smiled  a  little.     "These  are  artificial." 
I  suppose  I  looked  like  the  fool  I  felt. 
"A  very  natural  mistake,"  she  said.     "Some  time 
ago  my  jeweler  advised  me  not  to  wear  the  real 
pearls  on  the  stage,  so  I  had  this  made  by  Roberts. 
The  resemblance  was  so  perfect  that  I  could  scarcely 
tell  the  difference  myself.     It  was  only  by  wearing 
them  that  I  could  be  sure." 
"By  wearing  them?"  I  repeated. 
"The  warmth  of  my  body  caused  the  real  pearls 
to  gleam  with  a  deeper  lustre." 
"Lucky  pearls  i"  I  thought. 
"They  almost  seemed  alive,"  she  went  on  with  a 


i8 


Thieves'  Wit 


"The  artificial  pearls 
And  they  have  to  be  re- 


kind  of  passionate  regret 
show  no  change,  of  course, 
newed  in  a  short  time." 

I  asked  for  the  circumstances  of  the  robbery. 
"It  was  at  the  theatre,"  she  said.     "It  occurred 
on  the  night  of  February  14th." 

"Six  weeks  ago  I"  I  exclaimed  in  dismay.  "The 
trail  is  cold  1" 

"I  know,"  she  said  deprecatingly.    "I  do  not  ex- 
pect a  miracle."       , 
I  asked  her  to  go  on. 

"I  had  an  impulse  to  wear  the  genuine  pearls  that 
night.  I  got  them  out  of  the  safe  deposit  vault  in 
the  afternoon.  When  I  saw  the  real  and  the  arti- 
ficial together  I  was  afraid  of  making  a  mistake,  so 
I  made  a  little  scratch  on  the  clasp  of  the  real  strand. 
I  wear  them  in  the  first  act.  I  have  to  leave  them 
off  in  the  second  act,  when  I  appear  in  a  nurse's  uni- 
form, also  in  the  third  when  I  am  supposed  to  be 
ill.     In  the  fourth  act  I  wear  them  again. 

"On  the  night  in  question  I  wore  the  real  pearls 
in  the  first  act.  I  am  sure  of  that,  because  they  were 
glowing  wonderfully  when  I  took  them  off — as  if 
there  was  a  tiny  fire  in  each  stone.  I  put  them  in  the 
pocket  of  the  nurse's  uniform  and  carried  them  on 
the  stage  with  me  during  the  second  act.  In  the 
third  act  I  was  obliged  to  leave  them  in  my  dressmg- 
room,  because  in  this  act  I  am  shown  in  bed.  But  I 
thought  they  would  be  safe  in  the  pocket  of  the  dress 
I  took  off." 

"The  instant  I  returned  to  my  dressinq;-room,  I 


Thieves'  Wit 


19 


got  them  out  and  put  them  on,  suspecting  nothing 
wrong.  It  was  not  until  after  the  final  curtain  that 
upon  taking  them  off,  I  was  struck  by  their  dullness. 
I  looked  for  my  little  mark  on  the  clasp.  It  was 
not  there.  I  found  I  had  two  strings  of  artificial 
pearls." 

I  as'  jd  her  the  obvious  questions.  "Did  you 
have  any  special  reason  for  wearing  the  genume 
pearls  that  night?" 

"None,  except  that  I  loved  them.  I  loved  to 
handle  them.  They  were  so  alive  I  I  was  afraid 
they  might  lose  their  life  if  I  never  wore  them." 

Somehow,  I  was  not  fully  satisfied  with  this  an- 
swer.    But  for  the  present  I  let  it  go. 

"Was  any  one  with  you  when  you  got  them  out 
of  the  safety  deposit  box?"  I  asked. 

"I  was  quite  alone." 

"Did  any  one  know  you  were  wearing  them  that 
night?" 

"No  one." 

''Were  there  any  strangers  on  the  stage?" 
"No.  My  manager  at  my  request  is  very  particu- 
lar as  to  that.  I  have  been  so  annoyed  by  well- 
meamng  people.  No  one  is  admitted.  In  this  pro- 
duction  the  working  force  behind  is  smaU.  I  can 
give  you  the  name  of  every  person  who  was  on  the 
stage  that  night." 

"Has  any  one  connected  with  the  company  left 
smce  then?"  ' 

"No." 


20 


Thieves'  Wit 


"Who  has  the  entree  to  your  dressing-room  while 
you  are  on  the  stage?" 

"Only  my  maid.  But  she  is  not  expected  to  re- 
main there  every  moment.  Indeed,  on  the  night  in 
question  I  remember  seeing  her  watching  the  scene 
from  the  first  entrance." 

"During  which  time  your  room  was  unlocked?" 

"Very  likely.  But  Ac  door  to  it  was  immediately 
behind  her." 

"Have  you  any  reason  to  suspect  her?" 

"None  whatever,  She's  been  with  me  four  years. 
Still,  I  do  not  except  her  from  your  investigation." 

"Does  she  know  of  your  loss  ?" 

"No  one  in  the  world  knows  of  it  but  you  and  I." 

"And  the  thief,"  I  added. 

She  winced.  I  was  unable  to  ascribe  a  reason 
for  it. 

"Do  you  care  to  tell  me  why  you  waited  six  weeks 
before  deciding  to  look  for  the  thief?"  I  asked  as 
gently  as  possible. 

"My  jeweller— who  is  also  an  old  friend,  has  se- 
cured three  more  blue  pearls,"  she  answered  quickly. 
"He  has  asked  me  for  the  necklace,  so  that  he  can 
add  them  to  it.  I  cannot  put  him  off  much  longer 
without  confessing  that  I  have  lost  it." 

"But  shouldn't  we  tell  him  that  it  has  been 
stolen?"  I  asked  surprised. 

She  energetically  shook  her  head. 

"But  jewellers  have  an  organisation  for  the  recov- 
ery of  stolen  jewels,"  I  persisted.  "The  only  way 
we  can  prevent  the  thief  from  realising  on  the  pearls 


Thieves'  Wit 


21 

is  by  having  the  los,  published  throughout  the  trade." 
I  can  t  consent  to  that."  she  said  with  painfully 

told!M^rn:afed°"'^*^"'"^-''^''»™-^-the 

J^^  "'"  '^^°^  ^"  ''"'^-     "A  woman's  reason  " 
she  murmured,  avoiding  my  glance.  ' 

rou  know,  of  course,  how  you  increase  m^  A:t 
ficd.cs  by  withholding  part  of'yo"urcSdere."''- 
"DonV  1\"  "  '•'"''  *"'""'^  '"  ''«'•  J°vely  throat. 

I  bowed. 
wisSy"'"*''^""  ""  '"  '"  'P'*»  °f  •*."  She  said 


1  NEED  not  take  the  space  to  put  down  all  the 
operations  of  my  early  reasoning  on  the  case. 
I  had  plenty  to  think  about.  But  every  avenue  my 
thoughts  followed  was  blocked  sooner  or  later  by 
a  blank  wall.  Never  in  my  whole  experience  have 
I  been  asked  to  take  up  such  a  blind  trail — and  this 
was  my  first  case,  remember.  Six  weeks  lost  be- 
yond recall  I     It  was  discouraging. 

I  narrowed  myself  down  to  two  main  theories: 

(«)  The  pearls  had  been  stolen  by  experienced 
specialists  after  long  and  careful  plotting  or, 

(b)  They  had  been  picked  up  on  impulse  by  a 
man  or  woman  dazzled  by  their  beauty.  In  this  case 
the  thief  would  most  likely  hoard  them  and  ^oat 
over  them  in  secret. 

Not  the  least  puzzling  factor  in  the  case  was  my 
client  herself.  It  was  dear  that  she  had  been  pas- 
sionately attached  to  her  pearls;  she  spoke  of  them 
always  in  almost  a  poetic  strain.  Yet  there  was  a 
personal  note  of  anguish  in  her  grief  which  even  the 
loss  of  her  treasure  was  not  sufficient  to  explain. 
She  was  a  quiet  woman.  And  strangest  of  »U,  she 
seemed  to  be  more  bent  on  finding  out  who  had  taken 
them,  than  on  getting  them  back  again.  She  had 
waited  six  weeks  before  acting  at  all,  and  now  she 
hedged  me  around  with  so  many  conditions  that  the 
prospect  of  success  was  nil. 

33 


Thieves'  Wit  23 

I  Kad  an  intuition  which  warned  me  that  if  I 
wiahed  to  remain  friend*  with  her  I  \ad  better  be 
careful  whom  I  accused  of  thf  crime.  It  was  a  puz- 
zler whichever  way  you  looked  at  it.  However,  an 
mvestigator  must  not  allow  himself  to  dwell  on  the 
hopelessness  of  his  whole  tangle,  but  must  set  to 
work  on  a  thread  at  a  time.  Whichever  way  it 
turned  out,  I  was  to  have  the  delight  for  a  long  time 
to  come  of  seeing  her  frequently. 

I  was  there  again  the  next  afternoon.  This  day 
I  re:aember  the  room  was  fragrant  with  the  scent 
of  great  bowls  of  violets.  The  lovely  dark-haired 
mistress  of  the  place  looked  queenly  in  a  dress  of 
purple  and  silver.  As  always  when  there  were  a 
number  of  people  around  she  was  composed  in  man- 
ner, one  might  say  a  little  haughty. 

There  was  quite  a  crowd.  It  included  a  middle- 
aged  lady,  a  Mrs.  Bleecker,  a  little  over-dressed  for 
her  age  and  envious-looking.  She,  it  transpired, 
was  Miss  Hamerton's  companion  or  chaperon.  The 
only  other  woman  was  a  sister  star,  a  handsome, 
blonde  woman  older  than  Miss  Hamerton,  very  af- 
fectionate and  catty.  I  have  forgotten  her  name. 
The  men  were  of  various  types.  Among  them  I  re- 
member  the  editor  of  a  prominent  newspaper,  a 
weU-known  playwright  and  Mr.  Roland  Quarles. 
The  latter  was  Miss  Hamerton's  leading  man.  He 
looked  quite  as  handsome  and  young  off  the  stage 
as  on,  but  seemed  morose. 

Miss  Hamerton  introduced  me  all  around  in  her 
casual  way,  and  left  me  to  sink  or  swim  by  my  own 


M 


Thieves'  Wit 


eSorti.  None  of  the  people  put  themselvet  out  to 
be  agreeable  to  me.  I  could  tee  that  each  was  won- 
dering jealously  where  I  came  in.  However,  lince 
I  had  a  right  to  be  there,  I  didn't  let  it  trouble  me. 
This  is  life  I  I  told  myself,  and  kept  my  eyes  and 
ears  open.  I  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  these 
"brilliant"  people  chattered  about  as  foolishly  as 
the  humblest  I  knew.  Only  my  beautiful  young  lady 
was  always  dignified  and  wistful.  She  let  others 
do  the  talking. 

I  stubbornly  outstayed  them  all.  The  men  very 
reluctantly  left  me  in  possession  of  the  field.  As  for 
the  lady  companion  I  saw  in  her  eye  that  she  was 
determined  to  learn  what  I  had  come  for.  How- 
ever, Miss  Hamerton  coolly  disposed  of  her  by  »«':- 
ing  her  to  entertain  a  newcomer  in  the  next  room 
while  she  talked  business  with  me. 

These  people  wearied  her.  She  relaxed  when 
they  had  gone.  She  said  to  me :  "I  had  you  shown 
right  up  because  I  want  my  friends  to  become  accus- 
tomed to  seeing  you.     I  hope  you  did  not  mind." 

I  replied  that  I  was  delighted. 

"I  suppose  I  ought  to  account  for  you  in  some 
way,"  she  went  on,  "or  their  curiosity  will  run  riot. 
What  would  you  suggest?" 

"Oh,  let  them  suppose  that  I  am  a  playwright 
whose  work  you  are  interested  in." 

She  accepted  the  idea.  How  delightful  it  was  for 
me  to  share  secrets  with  her! 

My  particular  purpose  in  making  this  call  was  to 
urge  her  again  to  take  the  jeweller  into  her  confi- 


Thieves'  Wit 


as 


dence.  I  pointed  out  to  her  that  we  could  hope  to 
do  nothing  unless  we  blocked  the  thief  from  dis- 
posing of  the  pearls.  Very  reluctantly  she  finally 
consented,  stipulating,  however,  that  the  jeweller 
must  be  told  that  she  had  just  discovered  her  loss. 
I  explained  to  her  that  we  must  look  back  to  make 
sure  that  the  jewels  had  not  already  been  offered 
for  sale,  but  on  this  point  she  stood  firm.  She  gave 
me  a  note  of  introduction  to  Mr.  Alfred  Mount. 

I  delivered  it  the  following  morning.  At  this  time 
Mount's  was  the  very  last  word  in  fashion.  It  was 
a  smallish  store  but  most  richly  fitted  up,  on  one  of 
the  best  corners  of  the  avenue,  up  near  the  cathe- 
dral. Every  one  of  the  salesmen  had  the  air  of  a 
younger  son  of  the  aristocracy.  They  dealt  only  in 
precious  stones,  none  of  your  common  stuff  like  gold 
or  silver. 

I  was  shown  into  a  private  ofice  at  the  back,  a 
gem  of  a  private  office,  exquisite  and  simple.  And 
in  Mr.  Alfred  Mount  I  saw  that  I  had  a  notable 
man.  One  guessed  that  he  would  have  been  a  big 
man  in  any  line.  So  far  I  knew  him  only  as  one  of 
the  city's  leading  jewellers.  By  degrees  I  learned 
that  his  interests  were  widespread. 

He  was  a  man  of  about  fifty  who  looked  younger, 
owing  to  his  flashing  dark  eyes,  and  his  lips,  full 
and  crimson  as  a  youth's.  In  a  general  way  he  had 
a  foreign  look,  though  you  couldn't  exactly  place 
him  as  a  Frenchman,  an  Italian  or  a  Spaniard.  It 
was  only,  I  suppose,  that  he  wore  his  black  hair  and 
curly  beard  a  little  more  luxuriantly  than  a  good 


a6  Thieves'  Wit 

^'^""""  ^"  «n«nner  wai  of  the  whole  world. 
My  involuntary  firrt  impretuon  was  dead  against 
the  man.  He  was  too  much  in  character  with  the 
•trange  little  orchid  that  decorated  hit  buttonhole. 
Later  I  decided  that  this  was  only  my  Anglo^axon 
narrowness.  True,  he  kept  a  guard  on  his  bright 
eyes,  and  his  red  lips  were  firmly  closed— but  do 
we  not  all  have  to  train  our  features?  He  was  a 
jeweller  who  earned  his  bread  by  kow-towing  to  the 
nch.  My  own  fate  was  not  an  open  book,  yet  I  con- 
sidered myself  a  fairly  honest  creature. 

He  read  my  letter  of  'introduction  which  stated 
that  I  would  explain  my  business  to  him.  Upon  his 
asking  what  that  was  I  told  him  quietly  that  Miss 
Hamerton  had  been  robbed  of  her  pearls. 

He  started  in  his  chair,  and  pierced  me  through 
and  through  with  those  brilliant  black  eyes. 

"Give  me  the  facts  1"  he  snapped. 

I  did  so. 

"But  you,"  he  said  impatiently,  "I  don't  know 
you." 

I  offered  him  my  card,  and  explained  that  Miss 
Hamerton  had  retained  my  services. 

He  was  sile-^t  for  a  few  moments,  chewing  his 
moustache.  It  was  impossible  to  guess  what  was  go- 
ing on  behind  the  mask  of  his  features.  Suddenly 
he  started  to  cross-question  me  like  a  criminal  law- 
yer. How  long  had  I  been  in  business?  Was  I 
accustomed  to  handling  big  cases  ?  Had  I  any  finan- 
cial standing?  What  references  could  I  give?  And 
So  on,  and  so  on. 


Thieves'  Wit  27 

My  patience  finally  gave  way  under  it.    "I  bee 
your  pardon."  I  .aid  .tiffly.     "I  recognj^  the  righf 

Tte^Tclfer"  *"  ""™"  "'  '"  ^"  ""--• 
og.«d  hand.omely.    Like  all  big  men  he  wa.  often 

n'ngly.  You  are  qu.te  right.  I  am  terribly  up.et 
by  your  new.  I  forgot  my.elf.  I  confe...  too.  I 
•m  hurt  that  Mi«  Hamerton  .hould  have  Jcted  in 
old  Wend'"""      "*  ''"*  ^n'ulting  me.     I  am  a  very 

I  wa.  glad  .he  had  done  so.  for  something  told 
me  I  never  .hould  have  got  the  job  from  him.     I 
did  not  tell  h.m  how  .he  had  come  to  engage  me, 
though  he  gave  me  .everal  opening,  to  do  w. 
„er    ""l  "V  ""':°T  "»"•"  he  i-id  in  hi.  bert  man- 

you  with  all  my  power. 

I  accepted  the  olive  branch.     "I  .poke  too  ha.tily 
myself...  I  „^„,d.     ..J  ,^^u  ^^   P^^  ^^  ^^y  .t.ly 

anythmg  you  want  to  know  about  my.elf  " 

a  while.     StiU  that  mstinctive  dislike  of  the  man 

''Have  die  pr  ■  ce  been  notified?"  he  enquired. 
MI..  Hamerton  impo.e8  absolute  secrecy." 
Quite  so,  •  he  said  quickly.     "That  is  wist." 

I  had  my  doubts  of  it,  but  I  didn't  air  them 


28 


Thieves'  Wit 


"Have  you  any  clues?"  he  aaked. 
"None  a«  yet." 

"What  do  you  want  me  to  do?" 
"To  publish  the  loss  through  the  channels  oi  the 
trade,  with  the  request  that  if  any  attempt  is  made 
to  dispose  of  the  pearls  we  should  instantly  be  noti- 
fied.  The  owner's  name,  and  the  circumstances  of 
the  robbery  must  be  kept  secret." 

"Very  good,"  be  said,  maJcing  a  memo  on  a  pad. 
"I  will  attend  to  it  at  once,  and  discreetly.  Is  there 
anything  else  I  can  do?" 

"I  hoped  that  with  your  knowledge  of  jewels  and 
the  jewel  market  you  could  give  me  something  to 
work  on,"  I  said. 

"All  I  know  is  at  your  command,"  said  he.  He 
talked  at  length  about  jewels  and  jewel  thieves,  but 
it  was  all  in  generalities.  There  was  nothing  that  I 
could  get  my  teeth  into.  He  gave  it  as  his  opinion 
that  the  pearls  were  already  on  the.,  way  abroad, 
perhaps  to  India. 

"Then  you  think  that  the  robbery  was  engineered 
by  experts?" 

Kw  spread  out  his  expressive  hands.     "How  can 

We  parted  with  mutual  expressions  of  good  will. 
I  said.  "I  expect  I  shall  have  to  come  often  to  you 
for  help." 

"I  expect  you  to,"  he  said  earnestly.  "I  want 
you  to.  Myself  and  my  establishment  are  at  your 
service.     Let  no  question  of  expense  hamper  you." 


Thieves'  Wit  39 

I  found  liter  that  he  really  meant  thii.    I  wa 
however,  very  reluctant  to  draw  on  him. 
When  I  .aw  Mi..  Hamerton  the  next  day  I  a.ked 

wIaT"!'""  ''^'^°  ""«"'•"«  Mr.  Alfred  Mount 
with  the  object  of  finding  out  if  he  were  reaUy  .uch 
■n  old  friend  a.  he  made  out 

"T-'L^r^  ''''"''•  l!""""  '*''"•"  •'»«  "'d  'imply- 
JrlA  H^^L'"  *°  ''"y  **•'"«•  f'""  W"  «  merely 
mcdental.  He  wa.  a  friend  of  my  father',  and 
he  1.  a  very  good  friend  to  me.  He  ha.  proved  it 
more  than  once."  provea  it 

I  wa.  tempted  to  a,k:    "Then  why  were  you  ,o 

itTT^V^'-  ^'V"'"  y°"'  confidence?'   B^t 

TtherwUe      ""     ^^  ""^  ""*"*  '''"*•  '"^  ""'"  »"* 

I  Jm '•  '^?"'  "'''^  '^  '"'  ''»'*  ""tifi^d  the  police," 
I  said,  merely  to.ee  how  .he  would  take  it 

I  regretted  it.    Her  expre..ion  of  pain  and  ter- 
ror  went  to  my  heart.    She  wa.  no  longer"  ee 

,Oh  you  did  not.  you  have  not?"  .he  stammered. 
didn^S""'     '"•''>"'^"^'     "I  knew  you 

She  turned  away  to  recover  herself.     Whatwa.I 
o  make  of  it?    One  would  almost  have  .a  d  tha 
she  wa.  a  party  to  the  theft  of  her  own  jewel.. 

And  yet  only  a  few  mmute.  later  ,he  bur.t  out  in 
a  passionate  plea  to  me  to  discover  the  thief 

It  torture,  me  I"  she  cried,  "the  .u.penw    the 
uncertainty!     Thi.  atmo.phere  of  doubt' and    *.! 


30 


Thieves'  Wit 


picion  is  tuffocatingl  I  wish  I  never  had  had  any 
pearls!  I  wish  I  were  a  farmer's  daughter  or  a 
mill  girl  I  Please,  please  settle  it  one  way  or  the 
other.  I  shall  never  have  a  quiet  sleep  until  I 
knowP' 

"Know  what?"  I  asked  quietly. 

But  she  made  believe  not  to  have  heard  me. 


T    SPENT  the  next  two  or  three  days  in  quiet  work 
X      here  and  there.     The  most  considerable  ad- 

H"?  ].  "^^^^  '''*  '"  P'*^'''"«  *"  acquaintance  with 
McArdle,  the  property  man  of  Miss  Hamerton's 
company.  Watching  the  stage  door  I  discovered 
that  the  working-force  behind  the  scenes  frequented 
the  back  room  of  a  saloon  on  Sixth  avenue  for  lunch 
after  the  show.  The  rest  was  easy.  By  the  third 
night  McArdle  and  I  were  on  quite  a  confidential 
footmg. 

From  him  I  heard  any  amount  of  gossip.  Mc- 
Ardle was  of  the  garrulous,  emotional  type  and  very 
free  with  his  opinions.  The  star  was  the  only  one 
he  spared.  From  his  talk  I  got  the  principal  mem- 
bers  of  the  company  fixed  in  my  mind.  Beside  Mr 
Quarles  there  was  George  Casanova,  the  heavy  man, 
a  well-known  actor  but,  according  to  McArdle,  a 
loud-mouthed,  empty  braggart,  and  Richard  Rich- 
ards, the  character  heavy,  a  silly  old  fool,  he  said, 
devoured  by  vanity.  Among  the  women  the  next 
m  importance  after  the  star  was  Miss  Beulah  Mad- 
dox,  the  heavy  lady,  who  in  the  opinion  of  my  ami- 
able informant  giggled  and  ogled  like  a  sewing-ma- 
chine girl,  and  she  forty  if  she  was  a  day. 

Discreet  questioning  satisfied  me  that  McArdle 
was  quite  unaware  that  a  robbery  had  been  commit- 

3« 


32 


Thieves'  Wit 


ted  in  the  theatre.     If  he  didn't  know  it,  certainly 
it  was  not  known. 

Out  of  bushels  of  gossip  I  sifted  now  and  then  a 
grain  of  valuable  information.  He  informed  me 
that  Roland  Quarles  was  in  love  with  the  star.  Foi» 
some  reason  that  I  could  not  fathom  he  was  espe- 
cially bitter  against  the  young  leading  man.  He 
would  rail  against  him  by  the  hour,  but  there  seemed 
to  be  no  solid  basis  for  his  dislike. 

"Does  she  favour  him?"  I  asked. 

"Nahl"  he  said.  "She's  got  too  much  sense. 
He's  a  four-flusher,  a  counter-jumper,  a  hall-room 
boy!  Lord  I  the  airs  he  gives  himself  you'd  think 
he  had  a  million  a  year!  He's  a  tail-ender  with 
her,  and  he  knows  it.     He's  sore." 

"Who  seems  to  be  ahead  of  him?"  I  asked  with 
strong  curiosity. 

"There's  a  dozen  regulars,"  said  McArdle.  "Two 
Pittsburgh  millionaires,  a  newspaper  editor,  a  play- 
wright and  so  on.  But  if  you  ask  me,  the  jeweller 
is  ahead  in  the  running." 

"The  jeweller?"  I  said,  pricking  up  my  cars. 

"Spanish  looking  gent  with  whiskers,"  said  Mc- 
Ardle. "Keeps  a  swell  joint  on  the  avenue. 
Mount,  his  name  is.  He's  a  wise  guy,  does  the  old 
family  friend  act,  see?  He's  a  liberal  feller.  I 
hope  he  gets  her." 

This  bit  of  information  gave  me  food  for  thought. 
I  thought  it  explained  my  intuitive  dislike  of  Mount. 
The  thought  of  that  old  fellow  presuming  to  court 
the  exquisite  Irma  made  me  hot  under  the  collar. 


Thieves'  Wit  33 

I  went  to  the  store  of  Roberts,  the  manufacturer 
of  artificial  pearls.  This  place  was  as  well-known 
in  Its  way  as  Mount's,  since  Roberts  had  sued  the 
Duke  of  Downshire  and  the  public  had  learned  that 
the  pearls  His  Grace  had  presented  to  Miss  Van 
Alstinc  on  the  occasion  of  their  marriage  were— 
phony.  It  also  was  a  very  fancy  establishment  but 
like  Its  wares,  on  a  much  less  expensive  scale. 

I  fell  in  with  a  sociable  and  talkative  young  sales- 
man, who  at  my  request  showed  me  a  whole  tray 
fuU  of  pearl  necklaces.  Among  them  I  spotted  an- 
other replica  of  Miss  Hamerton's  beautiful  string 

"What's  this  ?"  I  asked  carelessly. 

"Blue  pearls,"  he  rattled  off.  "Latest  smart 
novelty.  A  hit.  Mrs.  Minturn  Vesey  had  one  sent 
up  only  yesterday.  She  wore  it  to  the  opera  last 
night." 

"There  isn't  such  a  thing  really  as  a  blue  pearl. 
IS  there?"  I  asked  idly. 

rJ'^T"'^^'  ^^^^^  "^  '^"P'"  °f  ««""'"«  stones 
like  aU  our  stock.  Some  time  ago  a  customer  sent 
in  the  real  necklace  to  have  it  copied,  like  they  all 
do.  This  was  such  a  novelty  Mr.  Roberts  had  a 
pattern  made  and  put  them  on  sale.  It's  a  winner  I" 
"I  wouldn't  want  a  thing  everybody  had  bought." 
I  said. 

"I  don't  mean  everybody,"  he  said.  "But  just  a 
few  of  the  very  smartest.  It's  too  expensive  for 
everybody.  Seven  hundred  and  fifty.  The  original 
IS  priceless." 

"How  many  have  you  sold?" 


34 


Thieves'  Wit 


"About  ten." 

"Who  else  bought  them?" 

He  reeled  oS  a  string  of  fashicnable  names. 

"That's  oi.!y  six." 

"The  others  were  sold  over  the  counter." 

The  affable  youngster  was  a  little  aggrieved  when 
I  left  without  buying. 

Mr.  Mount  was  both  surprised  and  deeply  cha- 
grined when  I  told  him  that  exact  replicas  of  Miss 
Hanierton's  pearls  were  to  be  had  at  Roberts'  by 
anybody  with  the  price.  He  didn't  see  how  he  could 
stop  it  either.  It  appeared  there  was  a  standing 
feud  between  Roberts  and  the  fashionable  jewellers, 
in  which  Roberts  had  somewhat  the  advantage  be- 
cause the  regular  trade  was  obliged  to  employ  him. 
No  one  else  could  make  such  artificial  pearls. 

With  Mr.  Mount's  assistance  I  had  the  sales  of 
the  replicas  quietly  traced.  Nothing  resulted  from 
this.  All  but  two  of  the  sales  were  to  persons  above 
suspicion.  These  two  had  been  sold  over  the 
counter,  one  to  a  man,  one  to  a  woman,  and  as  the 
transactions  were  over  two  months  old,  I  could  not 
get  a  working  description  of  the  buyers. 

On  another  occasion  I  went  into  Dunsany's,  the 
largest  and  best-Jcnown  jewelry  store  in  America,  if 
not  in  the  world,  and  asked  to  see  some  one  who 
could  give  me  some  information  about  pearls.  I 
was  steered  up  to  a  large,  pale  gentleman  wearing 
glasses,  very  elegantly  dressed,  of  course.  I  put  on 
my  most  youthful  and  engaging  manner.  I  heard 
him  addressed  as  Mr.  Freer. 


Thieves'  Wit 


35 


"Look  here,"  I  said,  "I  expect  you'll  want  to  have 
me  thrown  out  for  bothering  you,  but  I'm  in  a  hole." 

My  smile  disarmed  him.  "What  can  I  do  for 
you?"  he  asked  impressively, 

"I'm  a  fiction  writer,"  I  said.  "I'm  writing  a 
story  about  blue  pearls,  and  somebody  told  me  there 
was  no  such  thing.     Was  he  right?" 

"Sometimes  the  black  pearl  has  a  bluish  light  in 
it,"  said  Mr.  Freer.  "But  it  would  take  an  expert 
to  distinguish  it.  Such  pearls  are  called  blue  pearls 
in  the  trade." 

"I  suppose  you  haven't  got  one  you  could  show 
me?"  I  said. 

He  shook  his  head.  "They  rarely  rome  into  the 
market.  There  is  only  one  place  in  New  York  where 
they  may  be  found." 

"And  that  Is?" 

"Mount's.  Mr.  Alfred  Mount  has  a  hobby  for 
collecting  them.  Naturally  when  a  blue  pearl  ap- 
pears it  is  generally  offered  first  to  him.  You'd  bet- 
ter go  to  see  him.  He  knows  more  about  blue  pearls 
than  any  man  in  the  world." 

"One  more  question?"  I  said  cajolingly,  "in  my 
story  I  have  to  imagine  the  existence  of  a  necklace 
of  sixty-seven  blue  pearls  ranging  in  size  from  a  cur- 
rant down  to  a  pea,  all  perfectly  matched,  perfect  in 
form  and  lustre.  If  there  was  such  a  thing  what 
would  it  be  worth?" 

When  I  described  the  necklace  I  received  a  mild 
shock,  for  the  pale  eyes  of  the  man  who  was  watch- 
ing me  suddenly  contracted  like  a  frightened  ani- 


36 


Thieves'  Wit 


mal's.  The  muscles  of  his  large  pale  face  never 
moved,  but  I  saw  the  eyes  bolt.    He  smiled  stiffly. 

"I  couldn't  say,"  he  said.  "Its  value  would  be 
fabulous." 

"But  give  me  some  idea,"  I  said,  "just  for  the 
salce  of  the  story." 

He  moistened  his  lips.  "Oh,  say  half  a  million," 
he  said.     "It  would  not  be  too  much." 

I  swallowed  my  astonishment,  and  thanked  him, 
and  made  my  way  out. 

Here  was  more  food  for  cogitation.  Why  should 
a  few  idle  questions  throw  the  pearl  expert  at  Dun- 
sany's  into  such  visible  agitation?  I  had  to  give  it 
up  Perhaps  it  was  a  twinge  of  indigestion  or  a 
troublesome  corn.  Anyhow  I  lost  sight  of  it  in  the 
greater  discovery.  Half  a  million  for  the  necklace, 
and  Miss  Hamerton  had  told  me  that  buying  it  pearl 
by  pearl  it  had  cost  her  little  more  than  twenty-five 
thousand  I 


Meanwhile  there  was  an  idea  going  through  my 
head  that  I  had  not  quite  nerve  enough  to  open  to 
my  client.  It  must  be  remembered  that  though  I 
was  making  strides,  I  was  still  green  at  my  business. 
I  was  not  nearly  so  sure  of  myself  as  my  manner 
might  have  led  you  to  suppose.  To  my  great  joy 
Miss  Hamerton  herself  broached  the  subject. 

One  afternoon  she  said,  apropos  of  nothing  that 
had  gone  before :  "I'm  sorry  now  that  I  introduced 
you  to  my  friends.  Though  I  do  not  see  how  I 
could  have  seen  you  without  their  knowing  it." 


Thieves'  Wit 


37 


"Why  sorry?"  I  asked. 

She  went  on  with  charming  diffidence— how  was 
one  to  resist  her  when  she  pleaded  with  an  humble 
air:  "I  have  thought— if  it  would  not  tie  you  down 
too  closely— that  you  might  take  a  minor  role  in  my 
company." 

My  heart  leaped— but  of  course  I  was  not  going 
to  betray  my  eagerness  if  I  could  help  it. 

"As  to  your  friends  having  seen  me,"  I  said,  "that 
doesn't  make  any  difference.  Disguise  is  part  of 
my  business." 

"Then  will  you?"  she  eagerly  asked. 
I  made  believe  to  consider  it  doubtfully.     "It 
would  tie  me  down  I"  I  said. 

"Oh,  I  hope  you  can  arrange  it  I"  she  said. 
"Could  it  be  managed  without  exciting  comment 
m  the  company?" 

"Easily.     I  have  thought  it  all  out.    I  have  an 
assistant  stage  manager  who  plays  a  small  part.    By 
increasing  his  duties  behind,  I  can  in  a  perfectly  nat- 
ural way  make  it  necessary  to  engage  somebody  to 
play  his  bit.     I  shall  not  appear  in  the  matter." 
"I  have  had  no  experience,"  I  objected. 
"I  win  coach  you." 
Could  I  resist  that? 

"It  would  be  better  to  put  in  an  operative." 
"Oh,  no  I     No  one  but  you  I" 
"Well,  I'll  manage  it  somehow,"  I  said. 
She  sighed  with  relief,  and  started  that  moment 
io  coach  me. 


"You  are  a  thug,  a  desperate  character.    You 


ap- 


38 


Thieves'  Wit 


pear  ijp  only  one  scene,  a  cellar  dimly  lighted,  so 
you  will  not  be  conspicuous  from  in  front.  You 
must  practise  speaking  in  a  throaty,  husky  growl." 
In  order  to  prolong  the  delightful  lessons  I  made 
out  to  be  a  little  stupider  than  I  was. 

I  was  engaged  the  next  day  but  one  through  a 
well-known  theatrical  agent  where  Miss  Hamerton 
had  instructed  me  to  apply  for  a  job.  Just  how  she 
contrived  it  I  can't  say,  but  I  know  I  came  into  the 
company  without  ^anybody  suspecting  that  it  was 
upon  the  star's  recommendation.  In  the  theatre,  of 
course,  she  ignored  me. 

Two  nights  later  I  made  my  debut.  Mine  was 
such  a  very  small  part  no  one  in  the  company  paid 
any  attention  to  me,  but  for  me  it  was  a  big  occa- 
sion, I  can  tell  you.  In  the  way  of  business  I  have 
faced  death  on  several  occasions  with  a  quieter '  rart 
than  I  had  upon  first  marching  out  into  view  of 
that  thousand-headed  creature  across  the  footlights. 
With  the  usual  egotism  of  the  amateur  I  was  sure 
they  were  all  waiting  to  guy  me.  But  they  didn't. 
I  spoke  my  half  dozen  lines  without  disaster.  I 
felt  as  if  the  real  me  was  sitting  up  in  the  flies  watch- 
ing his  body  act  down  below.  Indeed,  I  could  write 
several  chapters  upon  my  sensations  that  night,  but 
as  somebody  else  has  said,  that  is  another  story. 

What  is  more  important  is  the  discovery  of  my 
first  piece  of  evidence. 

At  the  end  of  the  performance  I  was  crossing  the 
quiet  stage  on  my  way  out  of  the  theatre,  when  I 
saw  a  group  of  stage-hands  and  swne  of  the  minor 


Thieves'  Wit  39 

members  of  the  company  by  the  stage-door  with  their 
heads  together  over  a  piece  of  paper.     I  joined  the 
group,  takmg  care  not  to  bring  myself  forward.  An- 
other happened  along,  and  he  asked  for  me: 
'What's  the  matter?" 

Richards  answered:     "McArdle  here   found  a 
piece  of  paper  on  the  stage  with  funny  writing  on 
«t.     It's  a  mystery  like." 
"Let's  have  a  squint  at  it,"  said  the  newcomrr. 
I  looked  over  his  shoulder.     It  was  a  single  sheet 
of  cheap  note-paper  of  the  style  they  call  "dimity." 
It  had  evidently  been  torn  from  a  pad.     It  seemed 
to  be  the  last  of  several  sheets  of  a  letter,  and  it 
was  written  m  a  cryptogram  which  made  my  mouth 
water.     I  may  say  that  I  have  a  passion  for  this 
kmd  of  a  puzzle.     I  give  it  as  I  first  saw  it : 

&FQZZDRR  CV  REW  RIPN  PFRHO  at  ri-rxf 
gGffT  EP  FOBQ  IVTO^MXKlfS -^XD^ 

S  CEDBBWYB  SWOCNA  VMD  YbV  rr  auexiv 
NCA&MW&M&L.  HZF  EDM  HmzUM  ?Kn 
BSCOAIIQW  ZXK  FJOP  WOD     ITWX  DwJy? 

wnS'7"Jc°*«JT  LSZAND  EBcS^nSfP 
VEDFSF.  BSQ  ZWVXJ  YXM  H  PL  GC  DCR  FPHV 
EA&BO  ULS  RLZQ  WB  NELI  KZNFm  1^?^*  7 
CSQVEVDEV-FBACPI   S'wKsSiTBEHHZ^- 

J. 

Ihad  no  proof  on  beholding  this  meaningless  as- 
sortment  of  letters  that  it  had  anything  to  do  with 
my  case,  but  I  h:.d  a  hunch.  The  question  was  how 
to  get  possession  of  it  without  showing  my  hai  1 


40 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  kept  silent  for  a  while,  and  let  the  ditcustlon  rage 
at  to  the  proper  way  to  translate  it. 

My  excitable  friend  McArdle  (who  did  not  know 
me,  of  course,  in  my  present  character),  naturally 
as  the  finder  of  the  paper  took  a  leading  part  in  the 
discussion.  The  principals  of  the  company  had  not 
yet  emerged  from  their  dressing-rooms.  My  oppor- 
tunity came  when  McArdle  stated  in  his  positive  way 
that  it  was  a  code,  and  that  it  was  not  possible  to 
translate  it  without  having  the  code-book. 

"A  code  is  generally  regular  words,"  I  suggested 
mildly,  as  became  the  m'west  and  humblest  member 
of  the  company.  "Nobody  would  ever  think  up 
these  crazy  combinations  of  letters.  I  should  say 
it  was  a  cryptogram." 

McArdle  wouldn't  acknowledge  that  he  didn't 
know  what  a  cryptogram  was,  but  somebody  else 
asked. 

"Substituting  one  letter  for  another  according  to 
a  numerical  key,"  I  said.  "Easy  enough  to  trans- 
late it  if  you  can  hit  on  the  key." 

One  thing  led  to  another  and  soon  came  the  in- 
evitable challenge. 

"Bet  you  a  dollar  you  can't  read  it  I"  cried  Mc- 
Ardle. 

I  hung  back  until  the  whole  crowd  joined  him  in 
taunting  me. 

"Put  up  or  shut  up  I"  cried  McArdle. 

The  upshot  was  that  we  each  deposited  a  dollar 
with  old  Tom  the  doorkeeper,  and  I  took  the  paper 
home. 


Thieves'  Wit  41 

It  wa»  th«  moit  ingeniou*  and  difficult  cryptogram 
I  ever  tackled.  The  sun  wa.  up  before  I  got  it  It 
was  a  richer  prize  than  I  had  hoped  for.     Here  it  ii : 

"divosed  of  and  your  share  of  the  money  ii  here 
whenever  you  want  to  get  it.  /  •  = 

I  strongly  advise  you  not  to  leave  the  company, 
rou  say  she  has  not  discovered  her  loss.  AU  right 
But  these  phony  pearls  soon  lose  their  lustre.    She 

TJStHi^  °"  Ti.'*  *'"'  'r?  ^'«^^  r»  '""d  in  your 
resignation.    Then  good-night.     I'll  be  back  l^on- 

•For  the  benefit  of  tho,e  of  curioui  mindi  I  wilt  giv/i/k™ 

It  m.y  be  the  on.  before  it.  the  one  .fter  it.  or  .  purely  .rt,l- 

^T  Itf  that  ["  Hh."".  ""  ••"•  '•""  "-^t.  ^. 

.        ..  .  ?^  ^  •on.eta.ng  more  compln.    ObMrre  that  in 

form-  "MwiMi^T"''  ""'<"'."•'•«'»  '»  *"  ««r«.rdin.nr 
lorm.  ftMWtM&U  Here  w.t  a  awbrealcerl  To  make  a  Ion. 
..ory  .hoH  I  diKov.red  after  hundred,  of  experiment  that  th! 

W^  .Ah    "/"  "?  "•  *""'y-««.  ««'"  b««in  over  from  te" 

1.  .K    J  ""  "»""'""«!»"•  by  including  the  charwser  & 

..  the  tw.„jr...„n,h  letter  of  the  alphabet  Th,  fragt^ntaiy 
«n«nc.  at  th.  top  of  the  page  held  m,  up  for  a  Ion, T.  „«« 
va„r„7!K  '•"  ""  ""i  '"*"  "••  '""•y-*™  number,  in  ri 
:rd  °.l  Z  S^..  *-"•'  -""^"  "»  ^  P-  •*  *.  wHt.r 


IN  my  experience  I  have  found  in  adopting  a  dis- 
guise that  it  is  no  less  important  to  change  the 
character  than  the  personal  appearance.  As  the  new 
member  of  Miss  Hamerton's  company  I  called  my- 
self William  Faxon.  I  appeared  as  a  shabby,  gen- 
teel little  fellow  with  lanky  hair  and  glasses.  The 
glasses  were  removed  only  when  I  went  on  the  stage 
in  the  dark  scene.  On  top  of  my  bald  spot  I  wore 
a  kind  of  transformation  that  my  friend  Oscar  Nil- 
son  furnished.  It  combed  into  my  own  hair,  was 
sprinkled  with  grey  and  made  me  look  like  a  man  on 
the  shady  side  of  forty  somewhat  in  need  of  a  bar- 
ber. The  character  I  assumed  was  that  of  a  gentle, 
friendly  little  party  who  agreed  with  everybody. 
The  people  of  the  company  mostly  despised  me  and 
made  me  a  receptacle  for  their  egotistical  outpour- 
ings.    They  little  guessed  how  they  bored  me. 

When  I  joined  the  company  it  had  been  agreed 
between  Miss  Hamerton  and  I  that  thereafter  she 
had  better  come  to  the  office  to  hear  my  reports.  It 
was  her  custom  to  call  nearly  every  afternoon  about 
five.  She  insisted  on  hearing  every  detail  of  my 
activities,  and  listened  to  the  story  from  day  to  day 
with  the  same  anxious  interest. 

Since  she  had  first  broken  out  in  my  presence  she 
seemed  not  to  mind  to  show  her  feelings  to  me. 
■4* 


Thieves'  Wit  43 

Indeed  I  gue..ed  that  it  w..  .  kind  of  relief  to  the 
high^ning  woman  who  wa.  alw.y,  i„  the  limelight, 
to  let  herself  go  a  little.  Her  implied  confidence 
wa.  venr  grat.fy,„g  to  me.    She  never  gave  me  the 

t^I   f  u"''."*?'  "*  •"  """y  ''°"^'<  «>"t  by  thi. 

time  1  was  begmnmg  to  gueu  the  explanation,  ai  I 
suppose  you  are,  too. 

to  J^5?n  i^"'  '^."•P^"«'^  '^'  cryptogram  I  went 
to  bed  m  high  satisfaction.  I  knew  then  that  I  was 
on  the  nght  track.  The  man  (or  woman)  I  was 
after  was  m  M.s.  Hamerton's  company.  I  ,lept 
unt.1  afternoon.     Mi„  Hamerton  had  expected  nS 

She  said  she  couldn't  come,  but  the  coast  was  clear, 
and  could  I  come  to  her  ?  ' 

I  found  her  pale  and  distrait.     "Not  bad  news  ?" 
she  asked  apprehensively.     "I'm  „ot  equal  to  iti" 

you?"  itSFecfeV  """'  """  '•  '''  '"'  '^  *<> 

She  ignored  the  complaint. 

When  I  explained  the  circumstances  of  the  finding 
of  the  cryptogram,  and  showed  her  my  translation  I 
received  another  surprise.  A  sigh  escaped  he  ;  an 
her^aT  T?"'''^  """'  •"''  8'»d""»  came  inlo 
j^ped  up.""''  """  ""'™''*  *°  ''"  ='^"'"-  She 
"You're  a  welcome  messenger  I"  she  cried.     "Oh 

kZJr^^^  "°'''   ^  ''°"''  ^°"^  ""y  ""o"'   I 

J    'HT"    ^■^°:'^'^   "'"^    She    laughed   at 
me.      Don't    mmd    me  I"    she  begged.     "You're 


44 


Thieves'  Wit 


on  the  right  track  I  You'll  soon  know  everything!" 
She  moved  around  the  room  humming  to  herself 
like  a  happy  girl.  She  buried  her  face  in  a  bowl  of 
roses  and  caressed  them  tenderly.  "If  I  knew  who 
had  sent  them,"  I  thought,  "perhaps  it  would  give 
me  a  clue."  But  what  had  the  cryptogram  to  do 
with  it? 

Suddenly  to  my  surprise  she  said:  "Stay  and  have 
dinner  with  me  here,  Mr.  Enderby.  I  was  going 
to  a  party,  but  I  will  send  regrets.  I  don't  want  to 
be  with  any  of  them  I  I'm  so  happy  I  I  would 
either  have  to  hide  it,  or  explain  it.  I  want  to  be 
myself  for  a  while." 

I  did  not  require  much  persuasion.  It  was  like 
dming  in  Fairyland!  By  tacit  consent  we  avoided 
any  reference  to  the  case.  I  shall  never  forget  tliat 
hour  as  long  as  I  live.  We  were  alone,  for  the  un- 
pleasant Mrs.  Bleecker  thinking  that  Miss  Hamer- 
lon  was  dining  out,  had  gone  oS  to  some  friends  of 
hers. 

Afterwards  I  went  hotf:  to  disguise  myself,  and 
then  proceeded  to  the  theatre.  I  had  already  photo- 
graphed the  cryptogram,  and  put  the  negative  in  my 
safe.  McArdle  was  lying  in  wait  for  me,  and  I 
allowed  him  to  drag  it  out  of  me,  that  I  had  not  been 
able  to  translate  it.  He  collected  the  stakes  in  high 
^ec. 

The  paper  was  passed  from  hand  to  hand  until  it 
literally  fell  to  pieces.  No  one  could  make  any- 
thing of  it  of  course.  I  encouraged  the  talk  and 
helped  circulate  the  paper,  and  watched  from  behind 


Thieves'  Wit  45 

my  innocent  pieces  of  window-glass  for  some  one  to 
betray  himself.  But  I  saw  nothing.  The  convic- 
tion was  forced  on  me  that  I  hid  a  mighty  clever  one 
to  deal  with. 

During  my  long  waits  I  loitered  from  dressinjr- 
room  to  dressing-room,  and  let  them  talk.  As  op- 
portunit.es  presented  themselves  I  quietly  searched 
tor  the  first  page  of  that  letter,  though  I  supposed  it 
had  been  destroyed. 

Eighteen  actors  and  actresses  and  a  working  force 
of  SIX  comprised  the  field  of  my  explorations. 
However,  the  fact  that  punctuation  played  a  part  in 
the  cryptogram  not  to  speak  of  the  choice  of  words 
convinced  me  that  both  the  writer  and  reader  of  it 

nated  the  ilhterates.  This  reduced  me  at  one  stroke 
to  hve  men  and  four  women.  Of  these  two  of  the 
men  were  obviously  too  silly  and  vain  to  have  carried 
out  such  a  nervy  piece  of  work,  while  one  of  the 
women  was  a  dear  old  lady  who  had  been  on  the 
stage  for  half  a  century,  and  another  was  a  bit  of 
dandelion  fluff     These  exclusions  left  me  with  five, 

mT  R^^rxl"•  ^'°'-«'  ^^'"'"°^'''  Kenton 
Milbourne,  Beulah  Maddox  and  Mary  Gray 

Roland  Quarles  I  have  already  mentioned.  Both 
he  and  Casanova  were  actors  of  established  reputa- 
tions who  had  been  in  receipt  of  handsome  salaries 
for  some  seasons.  I  scarcely  considered  them. 
Milbourne  was  my  dark  horse.  He  was  a  hatchet- 
faced  mdividual,  homely,  uninteresting,  unhealthy- 
Jooking.    His  fancy  name  sat  on  him  strangely.     He 


46 


Thieves'  Wit 


looked  like  a  John  Doe  or  a  Joe  WL'  ..ns.  Miss 
Maddox  wis  a  large  woman  of  the  gushing-bysterical 
type ;  Miss  Gray  a  quiet  well-bred  girl  who  kept  to 
herself. 

While  I  concentrated  on  those  named,  I  did  not, 
however,  overlook  the  doings  of  the  others.  With 
all  the  men  I  was  soon  on  excellent  terms  but  the 
women  baffled  me.  Women  naturally  despise  a  man 
of  the  kind  I  made  out  to  be.  You  can't  win  a 
woman's  confidence  without  making  love  to  her,  and 
that  was  out  of  my  line. 

On  Thursday  night  of  the  week  after  I  joined, 
Miss  Beauchkmp,  who  played  a  maid's  part,  spoiled 
a  scene  of  Miss  Hamerton's  by  missing  her  cue.  It 
was  not  the  first  oSense,  and  she  was  fired  on  the 
spot.  This  girl  was  the  bit  of  fluff  I  have  mentioned. 
The  occasion  suggested  an  opportunity  to  me. 
There  was  no  time  to  be  lost  so  I  went  to  Miss 
Hamerton  at  once.  In  my  humble,  shabby  char- 
acter I  meekly  bespoke  the  part  for  a  "friend." 
Miss  Hamerton  was  startled.  She  said  she  would 
consider  it. 

I  had  no  sooner  got  home  that  night  than  she 
called  me  up  to  ask  what  I  had  meant.  I  did  not 
want  to  argue  with  her  over  the  telephone,  so  I 
asked  her  to  see  me  next  morning.  She  said  she 
would  come  to  my  office  as  soon  as  she  had  break- 
fasted. 

Using  all  my  powers  of  persuasion  it  took  me 
more  than  an  hour  to  win  her  consent  to  my  putting 
a  woman  operative  in  the  vacant  part.     Not  only 


Thieves'  Wit  47 

did  I  have  to  have  a  woman  in  the  conipany,  I  told 
fter,  but  1  needed  an  assistant  outside.  Not  bv 
working  twenty-four  hours  a  day  could  I  track  down 
all  the  clues  that  opened  up.    She  would  never  have 

comfort  she  had  found  in  the  cryptogram 

The  rehearsal  was  caUed  for  three  and  I  had 
barely  time  to  get  hold  of  my  girl. 

This  brings  me  to  Sadie  Farrell,  a  very  important 
character  m  my  story. 

I  had  been  keeping  company  with  her  for  a  short 
wh.le  At  least  I  considered  that  I  did,  though  she 
demed  .t^  She  scorned  me.  That  was  her  way. 
Sadie  had  always  lived  at  home.  Her  father  and 
mother  were  dead  now,  and  she  lived  with  her  sister. 
Like  all  home  girls  she  was  crazy  to  see  a  bit  of  life 
Her  heart  was  set  on  being  a  high^Iass  detective! 
That  was  the  only  hold  I  had  over  her.  I  had 
promised  her  that  the  first  time  I  had  occasion  to 
engage  a  woman  operative,  I  would  take  her. 

Moreover,  Sadie  was  full  of  curiosity  concerning 
Miss  Hamerton,  whose  praises  I  was  always  singing 
She  was  never  jealous  though.  Sadie  had  a  wise 
itt  e  head,  and  she  knew  the  difference  between  the 
feehng  I  had  for  that  wonderful  woman,  and  for  her 
darling  self. 

Sadie  was  at  home  when  I  got  there.  "What, 
you/  she  said,  making  out  to  be  bored  to  death  "I 
thought  I  was  going  to  have  a  peaceful  afternoon." 

1  couldn  t  resist  teasing  her  a  little.     "Cheer  up  " 


48 


Thieves'  Wit 


I* 


I  said.     "I'm  going  right  away  again.     I  thought 
maybe  you'd  like  to  come  out  with  me." 

"On  a  week  day!"  she  said  scornfully.  "Run 
along  with  you,  man,  I've  got  something  better 
to  do." 

"I  bet  I  can  make  you  come,"  I  said. 
She  tossed  her  head.     "You  know  very  well  you 
can't  make  me  do  anything." 

"I  brt  you  a  dollar  I  can  make  you  come." 
She  smelled  a  mouse.     "What  are  you  getting 
at?"  she  demanded. 

"I  wanted  to  take  you  to  the  theatre." 
"It's  too  late,  for  a  matinee." 
"Hew  about  a  rehearsal?" 
Hi     eyes  sparkled.     "A  rehearsal!    Wouldn't 
that  be  wonderful  I    Oh,  you're  only  fooling  me." 

"Not  at  all,"  I  said,  "Miss  Hamerton  herself  in- 
vited  you." 

"Miss  Hamerton!     Shall  I  see  her?" 
"Sure.     And  what's  more,  you  are  the  person  to 
be  rehearsed." 

She  simply  stved  at  me. 

"She  offers  you  a  small  pat;  in  her  company,"  I 
drawled. 

"Af<r/"  said  the  amazed  Sadie.     "Why— how- 
how  did  it  happen  ?" 

"Well  you  see,  I  have  come  to  the  point  where  I 
need  an  operative  in  the  company,  and  I  got  her  to 
take  you." 
"When  is  it?"  she  gasped. 


Thieves'  Wit  49 

minl'sTo/'""''"   '   "'^-     ^^—''^  twenty 

Ject"  ™'nl''  i°  "'  ""'^  '''''  "y  ""»  «  little 
squeeze.       Oh,  Ben,  you  darling  fool  I"  she  cried 

mu?t"do'  ^?  ''°''"  *°7  ^  ~"'^'»"=d  ^"  in  what  she 
must  do.     She  mustn't  let  it  be  suspected  that  she 

^LTVI:'^.  5'^°"-  S"^  "-'t^U  the  stage 
manager  she  had  been  sent  by  Mrs.  Mendoza.  the 
agent.     She  must  ask  forty  dollars  a  week"  and  come 

waT"  K  ?••  ^^'  •"""  "»'''  °"t  that  the  par 
was  much  mfer.or  to  those  she  had  been  plavSng. 

whirl  M-  "ir"""'  '^'  ""  *°  -•"»  to  my  office 
where  M.ss  Hamerton  would  meet  us.  and  give  h'; 
a  lesson  m  making  up. 

bir?,^!"/'".?'^  T.*^^'*^  '''^  '^'^  «ttle  head  like  a 
bird  and  sa.d  nothmg.  Only  at  the  prospect  of  re- 
ceiving mstruction  from  the  wonderful  Irma  Hamer- 
ton herself,  did  her  eyes  gleam  again.  I  didn't  have 
une  then  eo  tell  her  what  she  ha5  to  know  abou^I 

theLe  ih.    /  ^"  ""*  "*  *'  '*''^'°"  ""««t  the 
theatre,  while  I  went  on  to  my  office.     It  was  safer 

o^^^ourse  for  me  not  to  appear  at  the  rehearsal  ^ 
oaaie  s  sponsor. 

ably.    If  I  had  had,  no  matter  what  my  personal 

h-  "a^e'StV'"''  "°^  '.''''  -Plo/ed'her^ 
tnis  case  But  she  was  as  wise  as  she  was  pretty 
Under  those  scornful  airs  she  was  as  true  as'S 


50 


Thieves'  Wit 


faculty  of  keeping  a  close 


and  she  had  the  rare 
tongue  in  her  head. 

Sadie  had  a  sort  of  Frenchy  look,  long,  nirrow 
eyes  and  pointed  chin.  This  just  happened  to  suit 
the  part  of  the  maid  in  the  play.  If  I  had  looked  a 
month  I  could  not  have  found  a  better  girl,  not  to 
speak  of  the  pleasure  I  anticipated  in  working  side 
by  side  with  my  own  girl.  Moreover,  I  was  hoping 
by  my  conduct  of  the  case  to  force  Sadie  to  admit 
that  I  was  not  quite  such  a  bonehead  as  she  liked  to 
make  out. 

Everything  went  off  as  planned.  Sadie  I  heard, 
made  a  good  impression  at  rehearsal,  and  at  a  nod 
from  Miss  Hamerton,  the  stage  manager  engaged 
her.  Miss  Hamerton  told  me  afterwards  that  Sadie 
went  through  the  rehearsal  like  an  old  stager. 
They  arrived  at  my  office  separately,  and  the  lesson 
in  making  up  was  given.  Miss  Hamerton  laid  her- 
self out  to  be  kind  to  Sadie.  I  think  she  scented  a 
romance.  Anyhow,  inside  five  minutes  Sadie  was 
hers  body  and  soul.  Like  me,  she  would  have 
stopped  at  nothing  to  serve  her. 

After  that  I  told  Sadie  all  the  facts  in  the  case. 
In  her  woman's  way  of  reasoning  she  arrived  at  the 
same  conclusion  that  I  had  reached  after  my  style. 

"It's  the  work  of  a  clever  gang,"  she  said.  "They 
have  put  a  member,  perhaps  more  than  one  in  the 
company." 

"But  what  a  lot  of  trouble  to  take,"  I  objected, 
"since  the  necklace  was  not  known  to  be  of  any  great 
value." 


Thieves'  >Vit  51 

"Somebody  knew." 

"If  they  knew  about  blue  pearl,  they  must  alto 
have  known  that  Mount  wa,  the  only  buyer." 

Maybe  they  were  .hipped  to  India,"  ,he  .aid. 
I  .u.pect  that  Ea.t  Indian,  have  forgotten  more 
about  pearl,  than  Mr.  Mount  ever  knew  " 

sJiA  ""I^a"'  *''"'/'*'  »PP"«d  °n  the  .tage, 
Sadie  justified  my  confidence  in  her  power,     Not 

with,tanding  the  excitement  of  making  her  debut,  .he 

managed  to  keep  her  wit,  about  her     Women  «e 

rtage  ,he  had  to  wait  at  one  .ide  for     few  minute, 
T  T„  J  J        /  "conversation  on  the  other  ,ide  of  it 

e?olTto  ' '' •  '"1."°*  •>"" '"  "•»  --p'^y  W 

enough  to  recognise  the  voice,.  r    /       is 

A  man  ,aid.  "Ye.,  .ir,  forty  thousand  dollars." 

"I«r>     :"?f«P'y-     "How  do  you  know?" 
I  «w  ,t  entered  m  hi,  bank  book.    I  wa,  in  his 

weroriTorn '  "^  '^  °"  ^''^  *»"»•  wh^  h 

went  out  I  looked  m  it  out  of  curiosity.     He  de 
pos^d  forty  thousand  doUar,  last  wee?' 

Where  do  you  suppose  he  got  it?" 

Search  me." 

"Some  fellows  have  all  the  luck,  don't  they?" 
1  Hen  the  voices  passed  out  of  hearing. 


1HAVE  not  mentioned  Mr.  Alfred  Mount  lately 
though  I  saw  him  often  on  matters  connected 
with  the  case.  He  was  an  interesting  character.  It 
was  only  by  degrees  .hat  I  realised  what  an  extraor- 
dinary man  I  had  to  deal  with.  After  our  first 
meeting  his  manner  towards  me  completely  changed. 
He  appeared  to  be  sorry  for  his  brusqueness  on  that 
occasion.  Now  he  was  all  frankness  and  friendli- 
ness. Nothing  crude,  you  understand,  just  the  air 
of  one  man  of  the  world  towards  another.  I  could 
not  help  but  feel  flattered  by  it. 

While  we  worked  together  so  amicably  the  mutual 
antagonism  remained.  I  knew  he  still  resented  Miss 
Hamerton's  having  employed  me  without  consulting 
him,  and  I  believ<!:d  that  he  was  working  indepen- 
dently. For  my  part,  you  may  be  sure,  I  told  him 
nothing  but  what  I  had'  to.  I  found  no  little  plea- 
sure in  blocking  his  subtle  questioning  by  my  air  of 
clumsy  innocence.  I  told  him  nothing  about  the 
cryptogram. 

I  never  called  at  his  office  again.  Sometimes  he 
dropped  into  mine,  his  bright  eyes  wandering  all 
around,  but  more  often  I  called  on  him  at  his  apart- 
ment over  the  store.  For  he  occupied  the  second 
floor  of  the  beautiful  little  building  which  housed 
his  business.    There  was  however  nothing  of  the  old- 


Thieves'  Wit 


S3 


fashioned  ihop-keeper  about  his  place.  I  never  saw 
such  splendour  before  or  since.  But  it  took  you  a 
while  to  realise  that  it  was  splendour,  for  there  was 
nothing  showy  or  garish.  Everything  he  possessed 
was  the  choicest  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  Even  with 
my  limited  knowledge,  when  I  stopped  to  figure  up 
the  value  of  what  I  saw,  I  was  staggered.  I  saw 
enough  at  different  times  to  furnish  several  million- 
aires. 

Mount  had  a  strange  love  for  his  treasures  in 
which  there  was  nothing  of  the  usual  self-glorifica- 
tion of  millionaires.  He  had  a  modest,  ahnost  a 
tender,  way  of  referring  to  his  things,  of  handling 
them.  I  learned  quite  a  lot  about  tapestries,  rugs, 
Chmese  porcelains,  enamels,  ivories  and  gold  work- 
manship from  his  talk.  He  did  not  care  for  paint- 
ings. 

"Too  insistent,"  he  said.  "Paintings  wiU  not 
merge." 

The  man  was  full  of  queer  sayings,  which  he 
would  drawl  out  with  an  eye  to  the  effect  he  was 
creating  on  you. 

He  never  allowed  daylight  to  penetrate  to  his 
prmcipal  room,  a  great  hall  two  stories  hi^,  lined 
with  priceless  tapestries. 

^^  "Daylight  is  rude  and  unmanageable,"  he  said. 
Artificial  light  I  can  order  to  suit  my  mood." 

Another  odd  thing  was  his  antipathy  to  red. 
That  colour  almost  never  appeared  in  his  treasures. 
In  the  tapestries  greens  predominated;  the  rugs  were 
mostly  old  blues  and  yellows.     The  great  room 


54 


Thieves'  Wit 


never  looked  quite  the  tame.    Sometimet  it  was 
completely  metamorphoied  over  night.     I  under- 
stood from  something  he  let  f aU  that  the  other  floors 
of  the  building  were  stored  with  his  treasures.     He 
had  them  brought  down  and  arranged  according  to 
his  fancy.     The  only  servrmt  ever  visible  was  a  silent 
Hindoo,    who   sometimes    appeared   in    gorgeous 
Eastern  costume,  encrusted  with  jewels.    It  occurred 
to  me  that  that  was  how  his  master  ought  to  dress. 
The  sober  clothes  of  a  business  man,  however  ele- 
gant, were  out  of  place  on  Mount.    Long  afterwards 
I  learned  that  it  was  his  custom  when  tilone  to  array 
himself  like  an  Eastern  potentate,  but  I  never  saw 
him  dressed  that 'way. 

One  day,  to  see  what  he  would  say,  I  asked  him 
point  blank  what  was  the  value  of  Miss  Hamerton's 
lost  pearls. 

He  consulted  a  note-book.  "She  paid  me  at  dif- 
ferent times  exactly  twenty-five  thousand,  seven  hun- 
dred  for  them." 

"I  know,"  I  said  quietly.  "But  what  was  their 
value?" 

He  bored  me  through  and  through  with  his  jetty 
eyes  before  answering.  FinaUy  he  smiled— he  had 
a  charming  smile  when  he  chose,  and  spread  out  his 
hands  in  token  of  surrender.  His  hands  were  too 
white  and  beautiful  for  ^  man's. 

"I  see  you  know  the  truth,"  he  said.  "Well— I 
am  in  your  hands.  I  hope  you  will  keep  the  secret. 
Only  a  great  deal  of  unhappiness  could  result  from 
its  becoming  known." 


Thieves'  Wit  55 

"I  •htU  not  tell,"  I  aaid     "P„»  l»  . 

they  worth."  "*  ^'^^  ""'•»  «« 

"^««I'y  couldn't  My,"  he  laid  franklv     "Ti.. 
;.  nothin,  like  then,  in  tte  worSlt^  to  J^H 

S-hJUcEcoX"'^^^ 
;;Wouldn;t  they  be  di/Hcult  to  dispose  of  ?" 

tion."  '•  "^  ''°P"  '"  *^«  P«««  "tua. 

tinU?"  ^°"  """"^  *''•  *''^  ""'^  ^h"  h'  wa,  get. 

"I  doubt  it.     To  distinguish  the  blue  cast  is  a  fad 
of^my  own.    They  ordinarily  go  with  the  W,ck 

"&IIT  ''""*"'■."''* '°  ''•'  '"''J««  °f  his  own  accord 

?o!b?oVMi.?Air;^^^^ '"'  ^°"  --^^^  '•»-  • 

"No  danger  of  that,"  I  ,aid  quickly. 

wondermg  .f  I  p„,umed  to  rival  him  there     He 
immediately  went  on  8i..oothIy 

"She,  of  course,  ha-,  no  suspic...  i  of  the  true  v.I,.^ 
of  the  pearls.     Nor  docs  she  guess  that  Si;*;" 
in  my  possession  for  years      I  Ut  h.l  u        1 
one  or  two  at  a  time.'   Do  y  u    lat  m:i^h': 
spread  out  his  expressive  hands  again  ^' 

world"  h.";!.         ""T  ''/r*'^"'  P«''»  i°  ««  the 

S;dge\Td~;  ,r„^  '^etllt  °' '"  "^ 

notpearls.    Only^h^n  thlj  lie'on  t^riiTos^m 


56 


Thieves'  Wit 


of  a  woman  are  pearli  really  pearh.  I  wiihed  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  aeeing  Irma— MIm  Hamerton 
wearing  them.  I  could  not  give  them  to  her.  So 
I  deviled  this  innocent  deception.  Wouldn't  you 
have  done  the  tame?" 

Maybe  I  would.  Anyhow  I  didn't  feel  called 
upon  to  argue  the  matter  with  him,  to  I  kept  my 
mouth  shut. 

Hia  long  eyea  narrowed.  "If  yr,u  had  leen  her 
wear  the  real  pearls  you  would  understand  better," 
he  said  dreamily.  "They  glowed  as  if  with  pleasure 
in  their  situation.  Her  skin  is  so  tender  that  the 
veins  give  it  a  delicate  bluish  cast  exactly  matched  by 
my  exquisite  pearls  1" 

To  nie  there  was  something— what  would  you  say, 
something  delicately  indecent  in  the  way  Mount 
spoke  of  Miss  Hamerton.  It  made  me  indignant 
deep  down.     But  I  said  nothing. 

"I  am  a  fool  about  precious  stones,"  he  went  on 
with  that  disarming  smile.  "No  shop-keeper  has 
any  right  to  indulge  in  a  personal  passion  for  his 
wares.  Pearls  come  first  with  me,  then  diamonds. 
Would  you  like  to  see  my  diamonds?" 

Without  waiting  for  any  answer  he  disappeared 
mto  the  next  room.  I  heard  the  ring  of  a  burglar- 
proof  lock.  Presently  he  returned  bearing  a  little 
black  velvet  cushion  on  which  lay  a  necklet  of  Ream- 
ing fire. 

"I  am  no  miser,"  he  said  smiling.  "Quantity 
does  not  appeal  to  me,  nor  mere  bigness.  Only 
quality.    This  is  my  whole  collection,  seventy-two 


Thieves'  Wit  57 

itonei,  the  reiult  of  thirty  ye«ri*  .earth  for  perfec- 
tion. 

I  gazed  at  the  fiery  ipoti  ipeechleiily.  Before 
taking  thii  caM  I  had  never  thought  much  of  pre- 
cioui  itonei.  They  had  teemed  like  pretty  thing, 
to  me,  and  umIcsi.  But  upon  looking  at  these  I 
could  understand  Miu  H.merton'i  reference  to  her 

•^  J  •,".'."""»  *•*'"«••  ■'''««  di'mondi  were  alive 
-^eyiluhly  aliye.  They  twinkled  up  at  Mount  like 
complaiiant  little  slave*  outvying  each  other  to  flat- 
ter  their  master.  The  sheer  beauty  of  them  caught 
"t  the  breast.  Their  fire  bit  into  a  man's  soul.  See- 
ing  It,  I  could  understand  the  ancient  lusts  to  rob  and 
murder  for  bits  of  stone  like  these. 
•'Aren't  they  lovely?"  Mount  murmured 
Yes,  like  a  snake,"  I  blurted  out. 

I  We  dim'^'     "^''"  '"""*  '"""  •*""*"  ^  ""• 

"Put  them  away!"  I  said. 

He  continued  to  laugh.  He  caressed  the  dia- 
monds  with  his  long,  white  fingers.  "Wouldn't  you 
like  to  see  Miss  Hamerton  wear  them?"  he  asked 
softly. 

"No  by  GodI"  I  cried.    "She's  a  good  woman." 

Me  laughed  more  than  ever.  It  was  a  kind  of 
Unental  laugh,  soft,  unwholesome.  "I'm  afraid 
you  suffer  from  the  Puriun  confusion  of  the  ideas  of 
beauty  and  evil,"  he  said. 

"Maybe  I  do,"  I  said  shortly. 

"Some  other  time  I  will  show  you  my  emeralds 
and  sapphires,"  he  said. 


58 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  hated  the  things,  yet  I  was  eager  to  see  them. 
1  hat  shows  the  effect  they  had  on  you.  I  was  struck 
by  his  omission  of  rubies. 

"How  about  rubies?"  I  asked. 

He  shivered.  "I  do  not  care  for  rubies.  Thev 
are  an  ugly  color." 

I  welcomed  the  chill,  raw  air  of  the  street  after 
that  scented  chamber.  After  the  elegant  coUector 
ot  jewels  my  crude  and  commonplace  fellow-citizens 
•eenjied  aU  that  was  honest  and  sturdy.  I  was  proud 
of  them.  Yet  I  enjoyed  going  to  Mount's  rooms, 
too.  One  could  count  on  being  thrilled  one  way  or 
another.  ' 


A  eoZ,  /  "  '  '^""""^  ""  ''°™«  of  the 
ifenT",  ^  "^  1""  "y  «lcuIation.-though  I  .till 
kept  an  eye  on  them  through  Sadie  Of7l»^J^  t 
had  most  to  do  with  two.  Roland  Quarl^^dCon 
Mdhourne,  the  first  because  I  liked  hir.„dT 
second  because  I  didn't  '    ^  ** 

Q»rl»,  n».  „,  «,.„!,  21t.t  ^rZ  o1 
such  a  plan,  or  to  h  de  it  afterward*      T  AiTuZ 

with  him  the  less  I  knew     Y^t  I..  j:-i 
jljvea^ardoverhim";?.     nai'/se'^^rinS:: 

fJS  bind'  '*'^  °'  '•"  bank-book   rS 
not  w^ceed  in  finding  out  even  if  he  possessed  «,ch 

veto's'.?;  "  P"'y'.''«^'>»*-f-ed  individual. 
excXr^;'Xir"That"  '"  t  ™""'''  '"^ 

eve«  h*  k.^  *i.    I     I      ,     "^earures  and  narrow-set 
eye.  he  had  the  look  of  a  crook  right  enough,  but 

S9 


6o 


Thieves'  Wit 


1a\u^  I  ".".."°^  '°  miportant  as  disposition, 
and  this  heavy,  duU-witted,  verbose  feUow  was  the 
epitome  of  respectability.  He  was  not  at  all  popu- 
lar m  the  company,  principaUy,  I  fancy,  because  of 
his  over-nicety.  He  bragged  of  the  number  of  baths 
he  took.  He  was  not  "a  good  feUow."  He  never 
joked  nor  carried  on  with  the  crowd.  In  the  play 
he  took  the  part  of  a  brutal  thug,  a  sort  of  BiU  Sykes, 
and  played  it  well  though  there  was  nothing  in  his 

ITX'^IV^  "*f '*  *'  P""-    "«  ^"  *«  fox. 
not  the  bull^Iog     Imagine  a  man  with  the  appear- 

iSubourac  ""**  *'  "^'^  °'  *  '*'"''  ""'^  y°"  '''''" 
Shortly  after  I  joined  the  company  I  was  allotted 
to  share  his  dressing-room.  He  told  me  that  he 
had  requested  the  stage-manager  to  make  the  change, 
because  he  objerted  to  the  personal  habits  of  his 
fomer  roommate  So  I  had  every  opportunity  to 
observe  him.  A  lot  of  good  it  did  me.  He  talked 
me  to  sleep  He  would  recite  all  the  news  of  the 
day  which  I  had  just  read  for  myself,  and  commented 
oiMt  like  a  country  newspaper.     You  couldn't  stop 

Roland  Quarles  I  cultivated  for  a  different  reason. 
•I    u"°f./"'f  "^  •""■    A»  «  PoP"!"  '"ding  juve- 

el\„H  'k      "'  '^""  ^^'^  ''""  "^"^  »  *h*P"Wic 
eye  and  there  was  no  reason  in  the  world  save  pure 

cussedness  why  he  should  be  a  thief.  I  liked  him 
1  was  working  hard,  but  one  can't  be  a  detective 
every  waking  minute.  I  sought  out  Roland  to  for- 
get ray  work.     I  had  started  disinterestedly  with  the 


Thieves'  Wit  gj 

"%•  He  waf  hat  d  by  "l  tt  ™ '  ">»  V"-*^» 
P«ny,  because  he  desoised  thl'  /  ?  u  °^  ^''^  "">- 
took  no  pain,  to  S  bI  .K  °'"'*  """''•  »"d 
I  niay  say  all  women  „t     «   *'''  '^°'"'"  '"'^d  him. 

notpUhLrfrsrr:rsii'j;r-  "^^^ 

-d^ieTe^aTriteesf  °''"?  ""^  ^'-^-l. 
his  bearing.     I„  th^t  »„„„  "  '^°"'^""'*"«»  of  it  in 

alone.  He  had  a  sort  „7  *  !,°""«  "^°"  '^^  «°od 
or  as  a  novelfst  wo^u  dljTe  'se""?' '  "J.""  "'^' 
secret  sorrow.  His  iT'Au  T**^  "^  '=''«"»'»  « 
mous.  HcuTedt„.H«"  ."l*'  ^''"*«  ^"  enor. 
ing  at  it  °  '*"*  •'  ""  *•••  P°*«  without  look. 

^rL^ln7ofT%1't  ';*  ^'""^^^  '"™  '"•» 
Milboume  were  Ae  onlv  "k"  ^^P'^y  ''«  «"d 
my  meek  insT^  t"^'',r'"^'"  ''''°  "^^"  «'»d« 
them  all  onlyCsWuj'^^^^^  Of 

tried  to  make  m?  fe"e"l  "'^^  ^°""«  "«•"  "»-" 
•whileheiiioredl  h  l"''  '""ff^'fi""".  For 
last  that  I  ^.TcinT  n  ^  '*  "T'^  '°  '"''^'  «"  at 
upon  in  airas'sIirwaTheC  f --"- 

One  mgfat  .fter  the  show  he  offered  me  ,  cigar 


62 


Thieves'  Wit 


at  the  stage  door,  and  we  walked  down  the  street 
smoking  and  chatting  until  our  ways  parted.  He 
was  not  on  during  the  second  act,  and  after  my  brief 
scene  I  got  in  the  habit  of  stopping  a  while  in  his 
room  before  I  went  up  to  change.  He  had  good 
sense.  It  was  worth  while  talking  to  him.  We  be- 
came very  friendly.  He  was  only  a  year  or  two 
younger  than  I,  but  to  me  he  seemed  like  a  mere 
kid. 

One  night  in  the  middle  of  our  talk  he  said: 
"You're  not  like  an  actor.     You're  human." 

"Don't  you  like  actors?"  I  asked  curiously. 

"It's  a  rotten  business  for  men,"  he  said  bitterly. 
"It  unsexes  them.  But  here  I  am  I  What  am  I  to 
do  about  it?" 

I  learned  as  I  knew  him  better  that  the  popular 
young  actor,  notwithstanding  the  adulation  of 
women— or  perhaps  because  of  it,  led  an  exemplary 
life.  The  dazzling  palaces  of  the  Great  White  Way 
knew  him  not.  It  was  his  custom  to  go  home  after 
the  show,  have  a  bite  to  eat  in  solitude,  and  read 
until  he  turned  in. 

One  night  he  invited  me  to  accompany  him  home. 
He  had  a  modest  flat  in  the  Gramercy  Square  neigh- 
bourhood with  an  adoring  old  woman  to  look  after 
him.  The  cheerful  fire,  the  shaded  lamp,  the  capa- 
dous  easy  chair,  gave  me  a  new  conception  of  bache- 
lor comfort.     Books  were  a  feature  of  the  place. 

"Pretty  snug,  eh?"  he  skid,  following  my  admiring 
eyes. 

"Well,  you're  not  like  an  actor  either,"  said  I. 


Thieves'  Wit 


63 


He  laughed.     "After  the   theatre  this  is   like 
Heaven  I" 

"Why  don't  you  chuck  it?"  I  asked.  "You're 
young." 

He  shrugged.  "Who  wants  to  give  an  actor  a 
regular  job?" 

We  had  scrambled  eggs  and  sausages.  I  stayed 
for  a  couple  of  hours  talking  about  the  abstract  ques- 
tions  that  young  men  loved  to  discuss.  When  I  left 
he  was  as  much  of  an  enigma  to  me  as  when  I  ar- 
rived.  He  was  willing  to  talk  about  anything  under 
the  sun— except  himself.  Without  appearing  to,  he 
foiled  all  my  attempts  to  draw  him  out. 

Hard  upon  this  growing  friendship  it  was  a  shock 
to  learn  from  Sadie  as  a  resuult  of  her  work  during 
the  days,  that  it  was  Roland  Quarles  who  had  de- 
posited  forty  thousand  dollars  in  his  bank. 

"Impossible!"  I  said  in  my  first  surprise. 

"I  got  it  direct  from  the  bank,"  she  said.  "It  was 
the  Second  National.  He  deposited  forty  thousand 
m  cash  on  April  Sixth." 

My  heart  sunk. 

"But  that  doesn't  prove  that  he  stole  the  pearls," 

fellow       "'     ^^^  *''"***  ""^  "'''"^  ^"  *^^  ''°""« 
"I  hope  not,"  I  said  gloomily.     "Btit  if  it  wasn't 

he  then  our  promising  clue  is  no  good." 

"Maybe  he  won  it  on  the  Stock  Exchange." 

"That  doesn't  explain  the  cash.     No  broker  pays 
mcash."  '^  ' 

"Well  I  can  think  of  ten  good  reasons  why  he 


64  Thieves'  Wit 

couldn't  have  done  it,"  Sadie  taid  obstinately.  She 
had  too  warm  a  heart,  perhaps,  to  make  an  ideal 
investigator. 

That  night  Roland  asked  me  home  to  supper 
again.  This  was  about  a  week  after  the  first  occa- 
sion. The  old  woman  had  gone  to  bed  and  he 
cooked  creamed  oysters  in  a  chafing-dish,  while 
I  looked  at  the  paper. 

"Wouldn't  it  be  nice  to  have  white  hands  waiting 
at  home  to  do  that  for  you?"  I  suggested  teasing^y. 

"Never  for  me  I"  he  said  with  a  bitter  smile. 

"Why  not?" 

"What  I  can  have  I  don't  want.  What  I  want  I 
can  never  have." 

"You  never  can  tell,"  I  said  encouragingly.  I  was 
thinking  what  a  superb  couple  the  handsome  young 
pair  made  on  the  stage.  It  seemed  low  to  cross- 
examine  him  while  he  was  preparing  to  feed  me,  but 
there  was  no  help  for  it. 

"The  market  is  off  again,"  I  said  carelessly. 
"Chance  for  somebody  to  make  money." 

"How  can  you  make  money  when  the  market  is 
going  down,"  he  said  innocently. 

If  the  innocence  was  assumed  it  was  mighty  well 
done.  However,  I  told  myself  his  business  was 
acting. 

"By  selling  short,"  I  said. 

"I  never  understood  that  operation." 

I  explained  it. 

"Too  complicated  for  me,"  he  said.  "I  con- 
sider the  whole  business  immoral." 


Thieves'  Wit 


6S 


JcZllt  ""i!^"^'''i*°  'f 'J^  of  solid,  permanent 
invejment..     He  immediately  looked  interested. 

ter."  hVA*;!?  *°Q  ""  '"""hing  «bout  such  mat- 
ters,  he  said.  "Suppose  a  man  had  a  little  money 
to  mvest,  what  would  you  advise  ?"  ^ 

Your  savings?"  I  asked  with  a  smile. 

Lord  I  I  couldn't  save  anything.  No,  I  have 
a  friend  who  has  a  few  thousand  su^jIus." 

this  straw.  Maybe  a  friend  had  entrusted  him  with 
money  to  invest.  Hardly  likely  though.  Td  !  11 
more  unlikely  that  it  would  be  handed  ovir  in  cash 

2;;:d""  ""^ «°°'  '•'^"'  -^^  ^»  -"i'^ct  "t 
.aid  rhi:x;::;f  "^ "'°"  ^^'-^  "«*-  "^ 

^J^  shall  soon  be  out  of  it  now.  one  way  or  the 

'•What  do  you  mean?"  I  asked. 
I  mean  to  leave  the  stage  at  the  close  of  this  en 
gagement  or  before."  *"" 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?" 

I  couldn't  get  anything  else  out  of  him.    It  was  all 
mysterious  enough.     He  sounded  utterly  rTcUe" 
when  you  got  below  the  surface,  but  »omehow"fwa 
not  the  recklessness  of  a  crook. 

Worse  was  to  follow. 

First,  however,  I  must  put  down  how  the  .{h.o 
t. on  stood  with  Milbourne,Lcausc  ?shaJ„ot  rt™ 


66 


Thieves'  Wit 


to  him  for  some  time.  Kenton  Milboume  I  I  have 
to  tmUe  eveiy  time  I  write  it,  the  fancy  appellation 
wa.,o  unsuitable  to  the  tallow^heeL.Vtchct" 

.tun^h"''^°'""■V^•  '•''••^ved  Milboume  had 
«oen  t^e  pearl,,  and  I  worked  hard  to  justify  my 

allinit  t"''"^  """«  •"'  '''  '^y  -^-^  ^- 

Every  night  he  talked  me  to  a  standstill.    He 

seemed  to  be  a  man  totaUy  devoid  of  individuality. 

that  dullness  ..  the  favourite  and  most  effective  dis- 
gu.se  of  a  sharper.  His  talk  was  a  little  too  dull  to 
be  natural,  and  6nce  in  a  while  I  received  an  im- 
pression  that  he  was  anything  but  dull 

One  night  I  said  to  him  as  Roland  had  said  to 
me.  You  don't  seem  like  an  actor.  How  did  you 
get  mto  this  business  ?"  ' 

"Drifted  into  it."  he  said.  "Always  knew  I  could 
act.  but  was  too  busy  with  other  things.  I  had  an 
attack  of  typhoid  in  Sydney  four  years  ago  which 
Srl7  '"'?•  '^''"  '  ^"  Ratting  better  a 
play,  just  to  help  me  pass  the  time.  I  made  a  won- 
derfulh.tm.t  They  wouldn't  let  me  .top.  Sbce 
then  I  ^e  never  been  idle.  I  haven't  any  conceit 
80  they  offer  me  the  horrible  parts  "  ' 

"Sydney?"  I  said. 

U  Jk7l  '"""^  i"  Australia.     I  came  to  America 

last  FaU  because  there  was  a  wider  field  for  my  art " 

I  put  this  down  in  my  mind  as  a  lie.     I  do  not 

know  Australia  but  I  suppose  they  have  their  own 


Thieves'  Wit 


67 


New  yS'  °'  •""="•  •"«'  *^»  ™»«  t«i*«d  good 
r       .  H"  apparent  .lupidin,  .dll  m„T'5  „, 

.oi^"p^"£r;r£A'«r;?," 

bourne  out  of  my  mind  *°"  ^''- 

*e«ve  bu.™„  CcZ  S  **' Jw*;:'  Z 


68 


Thieves'  Wit 


moment  What  with  her  thirty  dollan  a  week  from 
the  theatre  and  her  additional  salary  at  operative 
(which  Miu  Hamerton  insiited  on  her  taking) 
Sadie  wai  in  affluent  circumitances,  and  for  the  firat 
time  in  her  life  she  was  able  to  dress  as  a  pretty 
girl  ought.  With  her  Spring  hat  and  suit,  her  dainty 
gloves  and  boots,  all  from  the  best  shops,  she  was 
a»  smart  a  little  lady  as  you'd  find  from  one  end  of 
the  Avenue  to  the  other. 

"You  look  sweet  enough  to  eat!"  I  said,  grinning 
at  her  like  a  Cheshire  cat. 

"Cut  it  out  I"  she  said  with  her  high  and  mighty 
air.     "It's  business  hours.     I'm  operative  S  F  " 
"What's  that  for,  swell  figure?" 
''Wait  till  after  the  whistle  blows." 
"After  hours  you're  Miss  Covington  the  actress, 
and  I'm  not  allowed  to  know  you." 
"Well,  there's  Sunday." 
"But  this  is  only  Tuesday." 
"I've  got  to  respect  my  boss,  haven't  I?" 
"What  if  I  kissed  you  anyhow?" 
"I'd  box  your  ears!"  she  said  quick  as  lightning. 
And  she  would.     I  sighed,  and  came  back  to 
earth.     It  was  not  that  I  was  afraid  of  the  box  on 
the  ears,  but  she  was  right,  and  I  knew  it.     As  soon 
as  I  started  that  line  of  talk  I  resigned  my  proper 
place  as  the  boss  of  the  establishment. 
"What's  new?"  I  asked. 

"I  found  out  something  interesting  to^ay,"  she 
said.  "Miss  Hamerton's  in  love  with  Roland 
Quarles." 


Thieves*  Wit 


69 


"I  gueiied  that  long  .go,"  I  „ld  dmly. 

5.d.e  was  much  taken  aback.    EvidenUy  the  had 

I  left  It  for  you  to  find  out  for  yourielf." 
♦h.  ^''' "''^'f  j^'i'ved  he  had  anything  to  do  with 
the  robbery. .  Sadie  .aid  with  a  touch  of  defiancl 
ning?"  "       '^  ^"  •''"  *°  digressed  in  the  begin- 

looZi^'i*''"'^  ''"  •omething  that  would  have 
dlv     .;     'IT  1°  "  '"'"•'"  "''J  Sadie  .com. 

..nM   u  ""n  ""''  '^^  ''"^"'^  *•«  t"  t«ll  you." 
.K      K    'J'  *c"  ^°"'"  '  "'''«'^'  »  "«'"  ''"ffed  at  the 

Sf  of    "  ?"'"u""  «'"'"«  «^"P^^  •"  »he  confi! 
aence  of  my  client  than  I. 

J^Ye.  to-day.    She  didn't  tell  me  about  her  feel- 

^wu  """■    ^  ^""'^  *''"  P«rt." 
What  IS  this  mysterious  thing?" 

tnJ?''^  ?^V°'''  ""  *^"""  »'""  »•>«  ««w  the  cryp- 
togram she  know,  there  couldn't  be  anything  i„  it  " 
,    This  was  getting  denser  instead  of  more  dear. 

JJ^iTltsked'"'  '''  ^'^^°«"'"  ''''  ""^ 

Roland  Quar  es  because  he  has  no  idea  of  leaving 
the  company."  ««vu^ 

strangely  loving  women   reason.     Aloud   I   said: 
Now  for  the  thmg  that  a  mere  man  would  have 
considered  evidence." 


70 


Thieves'  Wit 


•aid  Sadie.     "It 


"Don't  try  to  be  •«rc««ic," 
doem't  Mit  you." 

..Zt^r'ety"'^""*  *"  '•"•  '^^  '•o"  "-?"  I 
♦». ?L""  » "  '■"  "  "^  '"'*  ''ent  on:  "It  „em. 
on  about  the  pearli." 

.„  Jflf-  ^t'**  "  '"'"  ''""""  »«  thought  he  knew 
.on,eth.ng  about  jewel.,  .„d  ,he  .ay.  he  .carcely 

and  .he  finaUy  bet  him  a  box  of  cigar.  .gain,t  a  box 

wore  the  genuine  pearl..  That  i.  how  .he  came  to 
wear  them  the  night  they  were  .tolen." 

■'The  devill"  I  exclaimed. 

"But  he  has  never  .poken  about  it  .ince.  She 
beheve.  that  he  ha.  forgotten  all  about  the  St." 

thil  m«nt  ""  ""'  ^°'"'  *^^  '•°°'"  """''"'"8  -hat 
k„7?  ""*)**  !°°^  ^^  that,"  .aid  Sadie.  "We 
StTfJth^?"'""     Wouldn't  he  have  paid  hi. 

bellJve."""*  '°'"  ^  '"'^     ^  **^'*  """^  ^hat  to 

fo^rt^omlnr'"  """"''  "''  '"'"^'  "-«-"* 

"What*,  that?" 

"He-,  in  love  with  her.    He',  making  love  to  her 
now.     He  couldn't  do  that  if  he  had  robbed  her." 


Thieves'  Wit 


•nxiou.  to  ruin  the  ^unTi»V^°^*  '  ""  "« 
muniction  taken L  CnLnV^".'  ^'^'^''  ""■ 
and  that  my.tel„.  «,h T  V^  ^^^^^'^^^m 
look  like  pr/tty  .tr^Vetlet:"  iT^^*^'""*"^-  *° 

beginning,  .nd  „  hVwet      !V  "T  *""•=  «  t^" 
till  he  caSe  off  '  °"''  ''''  "''''^  ">«  to  wait 

to  d::fa:?Kr  "^f r  "t  '°^  ^  '>-<' 

graceful,  and  with  that  burden  on' h*"  1""^'°""''  '» 
variably  kind  to  me  I  ?1  i^  "  *"'  '"■"»'•  *°  «- 
thcle...  I  told  mysdf  Lit  '*!  "  r"^!*-     Never- 

todi^overtheTl^lJ-ctl';:^^ 

wind  had  bC^f  ,„1?°ll"'''«  "•!•!.  "  if  the 
"arch.    There  wa,«n"r     r,      "  "P"^'  thorough 
table  a.  yet  un^ed'^    N  i"""'  °"  *"■'  ^^'"4- 
Nothing  in'  the  3™we«  of  K'"^-  ""T""'  ^"* 
wa.  no  trunk  in  The  rooI'"'^rT""«-     ^'>»« 

pocket.  s^4^^:?£:^z:f:^ 


72 


Thieves'  Wit 


"dimity"  note-paper  without  an  envelope.  Opening 
it  I  beheld  a  communication  in  cryptogram  exactly 
like  the  other. 

I  could  hear  the  voices  on  the  stage.  Roland  was 
about  to  come  off.  I  hastily  returned  all  the  papers 
to  his  pocket  as  I  had  found  them, — except  the 
cryptogram.     That  I  put  in  my  own  pocket. 

When  he  came  in  we  picked  up  our  conversation 
where  we  had  dropped  it. 

As  soon  as  I  got  home  I  made  haste  to  translate 
my  find.  I  had  saved  the  numerical  key  I  used 
before.  I  instantly  found  that  it  fitted  this  com- 
munication  also.    This  is  what  I  got : 

"I.  has  known  of  her  loss  for  a  couple  of  weeks. 
She  has  fjut  two  detectives  in  the  company.  Faxon 
and  the  girl  Covington.  I  have  this  straight  Watch 
yourself.  f " 

So  this  is  why  Quarles  cultivated  my  f riend^ip  I 
I  thought,  feeling  all  the  bitterness  of  finding  myself 
betrayed.  I  could  no  longer  doubt  my  evidence. 
My  friendly  feelings,  for  the  young  fellow  were 
curdled. 


8 

T  WOKE  up  next  morning  with  a  leaden  wciirht 
1    on  my  breast.     I  had  no  zest  in  the  day^kh 

What  I  had  earned.     I  put  off  the  evil  moment  as 

nTt;;  T'  '•  • """""«  '""^  '"°™'"8  Sad^Jame 

II      i       •    ^"*  ''^  °^<^'"  t°  Newark  on  a  wild 

noi'''\?°l."Pf'*'"«  ^'^»  Hamerton  that  after- 

soZh-      •'""  ^  "'"''^  ''^  "P  ""-d  said  that  I  h'd 
somethmg  important  to  report     She  «,M    k 

She  had  never  looked  lovelier     H.r 

.  bo..r  of  Spring  ao.e,.,  .„d "he  "".7^,1" 

™"  o7o fh  ""  '""".  "'""^  ""■»"»  *-^e 

::*f;'te!;rhetf..!Ltr^^^^^^^^ 

I  told  her  bunglingly  enough,  God  knows  of  thr 
second  cryptogram  and  where  I  had  7o°nd  it     I 
crushed  her  like  a  Hower  trodden  underfoot  ' 

73 


74 


Thieves'  Wit 


Presently,  however,  she  began  to  fight.  "The 
first  thing  the  thief  would  do  when  he  found  him- 
self  under  surveillance,"  she  faltered,  "would  be  to 
try  to  divert  your  attention  to  some  one  else." 

"He  would  hardly  choose  one  ordinarily  so  far 
above  suspicion  as  fhe  leading  man,"  I  said  reluc- 
tantly. 

"He  may  have  known,  since  he  knows  so  much, 
that  you  were  already  suspicious  of  Ro — of  the 
other."     She  could  not  get  his  name  out. 

I  felt  like  the  criminal  myself,  trying  to  convince 
her  against  her  heart.  "Taken  by  itself  the  letter 
would  not  be  conclusive,  but  with  the  other 
things " 

"What  other  things?" 

"Well,  his  provoking  you  by  a  bet  to  wear  the 
genuine  pearls." 

"There's  nothing  in  that,"  she  said  quickly.  "If 
he  had  had  an  ulterior  motive  he  would  have  spoken 
of  the  bet  since.  He  w^uld  have  lost  it,  wouldn't  he, 
to  keep  us  from  suspecting?" 

I  conceded  the  reasonableness  of  this— taken  by 
itself.    "But  his  bank  account?" 

"Bank  account?"  she  repeated,  startled.  We  had 
not  told  her  of  this. 

"On  April  sixth  Mr.  Quarles  deposited  forty 
thousand  dollars  in  cash  in  the  Second  National 
Bank." 

All  the  light  went  out  of  her  face.  "Oh  I  Are  you 
sure?"  she  gasped. 


Thieves'  Wit  75 

"I  have  seen  the  entry  in  his  passbook.  I  verified 
It  at  the  banlc" 

Her  heart  still  fought  for  him.  "But  my  neck- 
lace  was  worth  only  twenty-five  thousand.  And  a 
thief  would  never  be  able  to  realise  the  fuU  value  of 
It. 

I  shrugged.  Naturally  I  did  not  care  to  add  to 
her  unhappmess  by  telling  her  that  the  pearls  were 
worth  half  a  million.  She  thought  from  my  shrug 
that  I  meant  to  convey  that  if  her  lover  had  been 
guilty  of  one  theft  why  not  others? 

It  crushed  her  anew.  She  had  no  more  fight  left 
in  her.     She  sank  back  dead  white  and  bereft  of 

™w!.°""  .".w"'*    """'"8    *'•'"'"     **>«=     whispered. 
What  shall  I  say  to  him?    What  shaU  I  say?" 
Don't  see  him,"  I  cried. 
"I  must.     I  promised." 

I  sat  there,  I  don't  know  for  how  long,  staring  at 
the  carpet  like  a  clown. 

The  telephone  rang  and  we  both  jumped  as  at  a 
pistol  shot, 

I  offered  to  answer  it,  but  she  waved  me  back. 
She  went  to  the  instrument  falteringly— but  I  was 
surprised  at  the  steadiness  of  her  voice.  "What  it 
it?"  she  asked. 

"Let  him  come  up,"  she  said  firmly.  By  her 
stricken  white  face  I  knew  who  it  was. 

I  jumped  up  in  a  kind  of  panic.  "I  will  have 
myself  carried  up  to  the  roof  garden  so  I  won't  meet 
hun,"  I  said. 

"No  please ;'  she  murmured.     "I  want  you  here." 


7^  Thieves'  Wit 

"But  he  mutt  not  meet  me  1"  I  cried. 
"Wait  in  the  next  room."    Her  voice  broke  pite- 
ously.     "Oh,  I  must  have  some  one  here— some  one 
I  can  trust  1" 

What  was  I  to  do?  I  obeyed  very  unwillingly 
As  soon  as  he  entered  I  found  that  the  transom  over 
the  door  was  open,  and  I  could  hear  everything  that 
passed  between  them.  Of  all  the  difficult  things 
that  have  been  forced  on  me  in  the  way  of  business, 
that  half  hour's  eavesdropping  was  as  bad  as  any. 

He  must  have  been  highly  wrought  up  because  he 
apparently  never  noticed  her  state.  His  very  first 
speech  was  tragically  unfortunate.  He  spoke  in  a 
harsh  strained  voice  as  if  the  painful  thing  he  had 
kept  hidden  so  long  was  breaking  out  in  spite  of  him. 
"Irma,  how  soon  can  you  replace  me  in  the  cast?" 
"Eh?"  she  murmured.  I  could  imagine  the  pain- 
ful start  she  suppressed. 

''I  want  to  get  out.     I  can't  stand  it  any  longer." 
"But  why?"  she  whispered. 
''I  hate  acting  I     It  is  not  a  man's  work." 
"Have  you  just  discovered  it?"  she  asked  with  a 
little  note  of  scorn  very  painful  to  hear. 

"No,"  he  said  gloomily,  "I've  always  known.  If 
I  had  been  left  to  myself  I  never  would  have  acted. 
But  I  came  of  a  family  of  actors.  I  was  brought 
up  to  it.  I  kept  on  because  it  was  all  I  knew.  It  is 
only  since  I  have  acted  with  you  that  it  has  become 
more  than  I  can  bear." 

"Why,  with  me?"  she  whispered. 


Thieves'  Wit  77 

voZ""""  ^  '"''  ^°"'"  ^^  "•'^  '"  »  ''"'h.  abrupt 

catl^fn  Irltr'  ""  "°  "°"  **•""  »  P»'"^"' 
foor'l  h°"  ""dn't  tell  mc  I'm  a  presumptuous 

™?7   tI     •  ?^    °^  "y  presumption  yet.     I  love 
ITL      u  ""'  '"?'''-''«««^«  of  love  that  I  have  lo 
go  through  every  night  with  you  drives  me  madl     I 
love  you  1     I  am  ashamed  to  make  my  livinTb'  ex 
hibitmg  a  pretence  of  love  I"  ' 

JJu    .''"  J"""    ''•""^'■'»    profession    and    your 
mother's,"  she  murmured.  ^ 

"Ti^77"'  '^-  ■■"'  *'^'"8'"  ''^  "id  gloomily 
iI?7k  "^  '  ^"""'"^  *^''"-  They  loved  their  w^rk' 
I  hark  back  to  an  earlier  strain,  I  guess.     I  harno 

t?„'>  ^r  r  '°  """^^  "  -"«•»  -^il»-     I  hate  tj; 

his^^rSke^^V"''  T^'^'  '°  ''"'•  ''"°*''»r  '»«"  b^c 
leaned  1'  it'  ,^  T"'  '°  *^^  °P'="  -'"'low  and 
S.      1^    •     •^"'^  forgotten   Roland's   supposed 

L'b' 'f.'  "'A'  •""■  ""•" '- w "»  B^ 

H.  ,„  ,dll  pleading  ,i,h  fc,-,  ,,,,„  ,^  ^.^  ^^.^^ 


78  Thieves'  Wit 

"A  month  ago  I  would  just  have  left  without  saying 
anything  to  you.  I  don't  even  know  that  I  am  fit 
for  anything  else  but  acting.  I  could  not  ask  you 
to  give  it  up  without  having  something  else  to  offer 
you.  I  suffer  so  to  see  you  on  the  stage.  To  see 
your  name,  your  person,  your  doings  all  public 
property  drives  me  wild  I  I  cannot  stand  seeing  you 
show  your  lovely  self  to  the  applause  of  those  vulgar 
fools  1" 

"You  are  mad  I"  she  whispered. 

"I  know— but  I  have  had  a  stroke  of  luck 1" 

"Luck?" 

"I  have  comc^  into  some  money.  Oh,  nothing 
much,  but  enough  to  give  me  a  start  in  some  new 
country — if  you  could  come  with  me  I  Oh,  I  am  a 
fool  to  think  it.  But  I  had  to  tell  you  I  loved  you. 
You  would  be  quite  justified  in  laughing,  and  show- 
ing me  the  door.  But  I  love  you  I  It  seemed 
cowardly  to  go  away  without  telling  you." 

"You  are  askmg  me  to  give  up  my  profession?" 
she  murmured  unsteadily. 

"I  ask  nothing.  I  expect  nothing.  But  if  you 
could — 1  You'd  have  to  pve  it  up.  It  would  kill 
me  otherwise.  I  could  stand  better  having  none  of 
you  than  half."  He  laughed  harshly.  "Am  I  not 
ridiculous?    Tell  me  to  go." 

"I  am  not  so  enamoured  of  make-believe  either," 
she  murmured. 

She  was  weakening  I  I  trembled  for  her.  This 
wretched  business  had  to  be  cleared  up  before  they 
could  hope  for  any  happiness. 


Thieves'  Wi*  79 

He  cned  her  name  over  and  over  brokenly.     "Mv 

tZi^uJ.^'"  '^"'  »  »  chance-lTever  ex^ 

foriii^^^elt."'^'^'"^"^""'^---"- 

I  went  to  the  window-sill  again  and  leaned  out. 

trlw-         ?v  "'^^  ^'"^"  »'»''  «"»«  in-     She  was 
tremblmg  and  breathing  fast. 

"He  has  gone,"  she  said. 

tt^fjl''?  *""  '""''  '"*°  *'''  °"»"  "o'n-     She  noticed 
stilt;.         *""  ""  °P^"-    "^°"  heard?"  sSeTaid 

wameTto'"'  "''^  ""~™f°rtably.     "More  than  I 

"I  don't  care,"  she  said. 

"Have  you  promised  to  marry  him?"  I  asked 
lafkldtftim^^'-     •'^'^-P-^d  nothing. 

"Good  I"  I  said  involuntarily. 

She  looked  at  me  startled.     "You  heard  I"  .f,- 
^d^defiantly.     "Were  they  the  wordsT/aUy 

said'Jrompily'"''"  ''"'"''"^  "'""'  ''"'"-  -^«."  ^ 
th,!!!"  '"""i"*  «"^it«de  lighted  up  her  face.     "Oh 

•Wh-"        '^^  r^-    ^^'  ^"^  ^^nr  near  tears 
Anythmg  else  would  be  unbelievable  I" 

Nol     Nol"  she  cried  with  surprising  energy 


8o 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  will  not  carry  this  tragic  farce  any  further.  I 
hate  the  pearls  now.  I  would  not  wear  them  if  I 
did  get  them  back.    They  are  gone.     Let  them  go  I" 

"But  Miss  Hamerton "  I  persisted. 

"Not  another  word  I"  she  cried.  "My  mind  is 
made  up  1" 

"I  must  speak,"  I  said  doggedly.  "Because  you 
as  much  as  said  you  depended  on  getting  honest  ad- 
vice from  me.  You  can't  stop  now.  If  you  marry 
Mr.  Quarles,  the  fart  mat  you  have  suspected  him 
though  it  was  only  f  j.  a  moment  will  haunt  you  all 
your  life.  No  marriage  is  a  bed  of  roses.  When 
trouble  does  come  your  grim  spectre  will  invariably 
rise  and  mock  you.  It  must  be  definitely  laid  in  its 
grave  before  you  can  marry  the  man." 

The  bold  style  of  my  speech  made  her  pause.  I 
had  never  spoken  to  her  in  that  way  before.  She 
eyed  me  frowning. 

"I  hope  you  know  it's  not  the  job  I'm  after,"  I 
went  on.  "I  never  had  work  to  do  that  I  enjoyed 
less.  But  you  put  it  up  to  me  to  give  you  honest 
advice." 

"I  can't  spy  on  the  man  I  love,"  she  faltered. 

"You  can't  marry  the  man  you  suspect,"  I  re- 
turned. 

"I  don't  su^ect  him." 

"The  suspicious  circumstances  are  not  yet  ex- 
plained." ' 

"Very  wcD,  then.  111  send  for  him  to  come  back, 
and  he  will  explain  them." 

I  had  a  flash  of  insight  into  the  character  of  my 


Thieves'  Wit  8i 

young  friend.     "No  I"  I  cried    "If  he  knew  that 
you  had  ever  .u.pected  him.  he  would  never  for^Jve 

"Then  what  do  you  want  me  to  do?"  she  cried 

hi.  ^ZIZT''-''''" '°"" '°  p^°^"«  p'-^'  «^ 

She  gave  in  with  a  gesture. 

BrllT^  '^'"  Hamerton  I  walked  twice  around 

lu^i  ^Tr  *"  P"'  "y  »''«'8''*»  in  order.  I 
wished  to  bekve  in  Roland's  imiocence  almost  a 
ardendy  a,  she  did.  but  I  had  to  force  myse  to 
keep  an  open  mind.  A  fixed  idea  one  wa/o  tl^c 
other  .s  fatal  to  any  investigator.  So  I  argued 
agamst  h™  for  a  while  to  strike  a  balance.  iTo  d 
E  /f'"  I"  '  "^^  °'  ""•"  ^''°  ^0"ld  stop  at 

In  tt  Sr**"?*  '\"™"  '^'  ^""-^  ''«  desired 
In  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  like  anybody  else.  I  had 

a  sneakmg  admiration  for  the  type.  "*'•*"•«' 

True,  I  had  never  heard  of  .  man  robbing  a 

wcmian  m  order  to  secure  the  means  to  supporfer 

St.Il.  human  psychology  i,  an  amazing  thing     You 

SmeYlTn?'  J  '"T^'^  "-y"''  °*««  the  othe^ 
times  I  had  been  brought  face  to  face  with  the  appar' 
en%  .mpossible  Particularly  is  human  nature  in. 
genious  m  justifying  itself. 

I  finally  made  up  my  mind  to  search  Roland's 

marked  a  htt  e  safe  there.     Surely  it  must  contain 

S.  Tk   "T  r '^^""  ""^  ^"y  °r  the  other 
What  I  hoped  to  find  was  some  natural  and  hone, 


82 


Thieves'  Wit 


explanation  of  the  turn  of  money  he  had  received. 

Around  the  theatre  that  night  Roland  and  I  were 
at  friendly  at  uiual.  The  shadow  was  somewhat 
lifted  from  his  dark  eyes.  They  burned  with  an 
expectant  fire.  An  extraordinary  restlessness  pos- 
sessed him.  For  all  he  said  he  hated  it,  that  time 
anyway,  he  outdid  himself  in  playing  his  role.  As 
far  as  I  could  see,  he  and  Irma  held  no  communica- 
tions outside  the  play.  ^, 

In  pursuance  of  the  plan  I  had  made,  I  insisted  on 
his  tupping  with  me  that  nig^t.  I  was  free  to  leave 
the  theatre  afte^  the  second  act,  so  I  went  on  ahead 
to  order  the  supper  I  said.  He  was  to  meet  me  at 
the  Thespis  club  at  half-past  eleven.  I  did  order  the 
supper  there,  then  hurried  on  to  his  flat,  arriving 
some  time  before  his  customary  hour  of  coming  from 
the  theatre. 

His  old  housekeeper  having  seen  me  in  his  com- 
pany on  several  occasions  expressed  no  surprise  at 
my  coming.  I  said  I  would  wait  for  him,  and  she 
left  me  to  my  own  devices  in  the  front  room.  I 
satisfied  myself  that  she  had  gone  to  her  own  room 
on  the  other  side  of  the  kitchen,  three  doors  away, 
then  I  set  to  work. 

I  had  brought  a  bunch  of  skeleton  keys  and  a  set 
of  miniature  housebreaking  tools.  I  didn't  require 
them,  for  I  found  that  the  little  safe  had  one  of  the 
earliest  and  simplest  forms  of  a  lock.  Part  of  my 
apprenticeship  had  been  spent  in  learning  how  to 
open  such  locks  merely  by  listening  to  the  fall  of  the 
tumblers  as  one  turned  the  knob.    All  that  was  re- 


Thieves'  Wit 


83 


quired  was  patience.  It  wa»  a  little  after  ten.  Sup- 
posing that  Roland  waited  for  me  at  the  Thespis 
club  only  half  an  hour,  I  had  two  hours  in  which  to 
work.  It  was  painfully  exciting.  I  had  my  first 
glimpse  of  the  point  of  view  of  a  housebreaker. 

The  safe  door  swung  open  at  last.  I  looked  in- 
side with  a  beating  heart.  It  contained  but  little; 
a  diary,  which  I  left  for  the  moment;  a  wallet  con- 
taining a  sum  of  money,  a  bundle  of  papers  en- 
closed by  an  elastic  band.  I  went  over  the  papers 
hastily;  they  consisted  of  insurance  policies,  the- 
atrical contracts  and  business  letters  of  old  dates 
which  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  my  case. 

However,  there  was  still  a  little  locked  drawer  to 
investigate.  After  a  number  of  tries  I  fixed  a  key 
that  would  open  it.  The  first  thing  I  saw  was  a 
number  of  pieces  of  men's  jewelry  that  Roland 
doubtless  used  for  stage  properties.  The  second 
thing  I  saw  was  a  beautiful  little  antique  box  made 
of  some  sweet-smelling  wood  which  contained  several 
notes  in  Irma's  handwriting  and  some  withered 
flowers.  The  third  and  last  thing  was  a  seal  leather 
case  such  as  jewellers  display.  Upon  pressing  the 
spring  the  cover  flew  back  and  I  saw  lying  on  a  bed 
of  white  velvet  a  string  of  wonderful  dusky  pearls. 

For  many  moments  I  gazed  at  them  in  stupid 
astonishment.  God  knows  what  I  expected  to  find. 
Certainly  not  that.  What  did  it  mean  ?  It  looked 
just  the  same  as  the  string  Miss  Hamerton  had 
showed  me.  I  counted  them.  There  were  sixty- 
seven  pearls.     Was  it  another  of  Roberts'  replicas? 


maoawt  mmuition  tmt  omit 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TiSI  CHART  No.  2) 


1.0    £i2fi 

^^S      lit  tSm 


u 


1.1 


1^ 

120 
1.8 


iii^i^ 


A 


i    ^^PPUEDJVMGE    Inc 


1653  Cost  Main  StrMt 

Roch«t«f.  Nm  York        U60fl       ifiA 

(716)  482  -  0300  -  Phorw 

(716)  288  -  5989  -  F<»i 


84 


Thieves'  Wit 


Perhaps  Roland  had  bought  it  and  stowed  it  away 
for  sentimental  reasons.  That  seemed  pretty  far- 
fetched. 

I  carried  it  to  the  electric  light.  There  I  could 
see  the  blue  cast  like  the  last  gleam  of  light  in  the 
twilight  sky.  The  bits  of  stone  had  a  wonderful 
fire,  life.  An  instinct  told  me  they  were  genuine 
pearls.  But  if  they  were  it  must  be  the  string,  for 
Mount  had  said  there  were  no  others.  I  remem- 
bered that  Miss  Hamerton  had  told  me  she  had 
made  a  little  scratch  on  the  clasp  and  I  eagerly 
looked  for  it.  There  was  a  kind  of  mark  there. 
At  this  point  I  shook  my  head  and  gave  up  speculat- 
ing. 

I  slipped  the  case  in  my  pocket,  locked  the  drawer 
and  locked  the  safe  again.  I  switched  off  the  lights 
and  let  myself  quietly  out  of  the  flat. 

I  decided  to  go  to  the  Thespis  club  as  if  nothing 
had  happened.  I  was  not  at  all  anxious  to  meet 
Roland  until  I  knew  where  I  stood,  but  I  reflected 
that  if  I  failed  him  it  might  rouse  his  suspicions  and 
precipitate  a  catastrophe  before  I  was  ready  for  it. 
There  was  not  much  danger  that  he  would  look  in 
his  safe  that  night  if  I  kept  him  late.  His  house- 
keeper would  tell  him  I  had  been  there,  but  I  could 
explain  that.  In  the  morning  I  would  have  him 
watched. 

Roland  was  at  the  club  when  I  arrived.  "I've 
been  at  your  rooms,"  I  said  instantly.  "I  had  an 
idea  I  was  to  wait  for  you  there.  But  I  got  think- 
ing it  over  and  decided  I  had  made  a  mistake.' 


Thieves'  Wit 


85 


"You've  got  a  memory  like  a  colander,"  he  said 
good-naturedly.    "Better  do  something  about  it." 

We  sat  down  to  our  supper.  Roland  was  in  for 
him,  extraordinary  spirits.  All  the  while  we  ate, 
drank  and  joked  I  was  wondering  in  the  back  of  my 
head  what  kind  of  a  change  would  come  over  his 
grim,  dark,  laughing  face  if  he  knew  what  I  had  in 
my  pocket. 


Fir^  '"'^  **"  "y  **'•'  ""'^  morning.  I 
called  up  Miss  Hamerton  merely  saying  that 
I  would  come  to  the  hotel  half  an  hour  later.  Sadie 
came  m,  but  having  kept  from  her  what  had  already 
happened,  I  could  not  tell  her  this.  I  was  not 
obliged  to  tell  her  all  the  developments  of  the  case, 
of  course,  but  she  had  a  moral  right  to  my  confi- 
dence, and  so  I  felt  guilty  and  wretched  every  way 
Sadie  I  knew  would  be  terribly  cut  up  by  the  way 
thmgs  were  tending,  and  I  had  not  the  heart  to  face 
It,  with  what  I  had  to  go  through  later. 

Miss  Hamerton  received  me  with  great  bright 
eyes  that  looked  out  of  her  white  face  like  stars  at 

T'  ..P^  '"'*''"*  ^^^  ""g'lt  "g'»t  of  my  face  she 
said:    "You  have  news?" 

I  nodded. 

"Good  or  bad?"  she  whispered  breathlessly. 
There   was   no  use   beating  around   the   bush. 
iJad,    1  said  bluntly. 

A  hand  went  to  her  breast.     "Tell  me— quickly  " 
,  I  drew  out  the  case.     She  gave  no  sign  of  recog- 
nising it     I  snapped  it  open.     "Is  this  the  lost  neck- 
lace  ?    I  asked. 

With  a  little  cry,  she  seized  upon  it,  examined  the 

pearls,  breathed  upon  them,  looked  at  the  clasp. 

res  I    Yes  I    she  exclaimed,  joy  struggling  in  her 


86 


Thieves'  Wit 


87 


"Where  did  yoa 


face  with  an  underlying  terror 
get  it?" 

"Out  of  a  safe  in  Mr.  Quarles'  flat." 
She  looked  at  me  stricken  stupid. 
I  had  to  repeat  the  words. 

pew? '""'""'  '"""^'^  "°*  ^""'"'  ™^"  '^^  ^J*'*- 
^"I  wish  to  God  it  were  not  true!"  I  cried 
In  his  room-his  room  I"  she  muttered.     Sud- 
the  fl^oor    "  *"  "  '"""P^*='*  ^''««  heap  on 

I  gathered  her  up  in  my  arms  and  laid  her  on 
the  sofa.  I  called  Mrs.  Bleecker.  who  came  run- 
nmg,  accompanied  by  Irma's  maid.  A  senseless 
scene  of  confusion  foUowed.  The  foolish  women 
roused  half  the  hotel  with  their  outcries.  I  myself 
earned  the  beautiful,  i  ...imate  girl  into  herTed- 
room.  For  me  ,t  was  holy  ground.  It  was  almost 
as  bare  as  a  convent  cell.  It  pleased  me  to  find  that 
she  mstmctively  rejected  luxury  on  retiring  to  her 
last  stronghold.     I  laid  her  on  her  bed-the  pillow 

to  the  outer  room  to  await  the  issue.  All  this  time, 
I  must  tell  you,  Mrs.  Bleecker  was  relieving  S 
feeling  by  abusing  me.  From  the  first  I  had  ap- 
prehended hatred  in  that  lady. 

I  waited  a  few  minutes,  feeling  very  unnecessary, 
and  wondering  if  I  would  not  do  better  to  returnTo 
my  office  when  Mrs.  Bleecker  came  back,  and  wi  h 
a  very  .1,  grace  said  that  Miss  Hamerton  wantelto 
know  If  It  was  convenient  for  me  to  wait  a  little 


88 


Thieves'  Wit 


while  until  she  was  able  to  see  me,  and  would  I  please 
say  whatever  was  necessary  to  people  who  called.  I 
almost  wept  upon  receiving  this  message.  I  sent 
back  word  that  I  would  stay  all  day  if  she  wanted 
me.  Mrs.  Bleecker  glared  at  me,  almost  beside 
herself  with  defeated  curiosity.  I  had  the  necklace 
safe  in  my  pocket  and  she  was  without  a  clue  to  what 
had  happened. 

So  there  I  was  established  as  Miss  Hamerton's 
representative.  Everybody  took  orders  from  me, 
and  wondered  who  I  was.  The  word  had  spread 
like  wildfire  that  ^he  famous  star  had  been  taken 
ill,  and  the  telephone  rang  continuously.  I  finally 
told  the  hotel  people  what  to  say,  and  ordered  it 
disconnected.  I  had  a  couple  of  boys  stationed  in 
the  corridor  to  keep  people  from  the  door.  I  sent 
for  two  doctors,  not  that  Irma  was  in  any  need  of 
medical  attention,  but  I  wished  lo  have  the  support 
of  a  professional  bulletin.  I  told  them  what  I 
thought  necessary.    They  were  discreet  men. 

Miss  Hamerton  had  no  close  relatives,  and  I 
could  not  see  the  sense  of  sending  for  any  others. 
I  forbade  Mrs.  Bieecker  to  telegraph  them.  In  a 
case  of  this  kind  solitude  is  the  best,  the  most  merci- 
ful treatment  for  the  sufferer.  As  it  was  I  pitied 
the  poor  girl  having  to  endure  the  officious  ministra- 
tions of  her  inquisitive  servants,  but  I  did  not  feel 
justified  in  interfering  there. 

Only  two  men  were  allowed  past  the  guard  in  the 
corridor,  Mr.  Maurice  Metz,  the  famous  theatrical 
manager,   and   Mr.   Alfred  Mount.     The   former 


Thieves*  Wit 


89 


stormed  about  the  room  like  a  wilful  child.  His 
pocketbook  was  hard  hit.  I  was  firm.  He  could 
not  see  Miss  Hamerton,  he  must  be  satisfied  with  my 
report.  Miss  Hamerton  had  suffered  a  nervous 
breakdown — with  that  phrase  we  guarded  her  pite- 
ous secret,  and  it  would  be  out  of  the  qiiestion  for 
her  to  act  for  weeks  to  come.  It  was  her  wish  that 
the  company  be  paid  off  and  disbanded. 

"Who  the  devil  are  you?"  he  demanded. 

"I  speak  for  Miss  Hamerton,"  I  said  with  a 
shrug.  I  remembered  how  humbly  I  had  besieged 
this  man's  door  with  my  play  a  few  weeks  since,  and 
now  I  was  turning  him  down. 

To  satisfy  him  I  had  Mrs.  Bleecker  in.  He  de- 
manded of  her  who  I  was. 

"I  don't  know,"  she  snapped. 

Nevertheless  she  had  to  bear  me  out.  Miss  Ham- 
erton had  sent  word  that  the  company  was  to  be 
paid  off  with  two  weeks'  salary,  and  the  amount 
charged  to  her.  I  referred  Mr.  Metz  to  the  doc- 
tors. They  impressed  him  with  medical  phrases  he 
didn't  understand.  He  finally  departed  talking  to 
himself  and  waving  his  hands. 

Mr.  Mount,  of  course,  was  very  different.  He 
came  in  all  suave  sympathy,  anxious  to  uphold  me  in 
every  way.  I  had  wished  to  see  him  for  a  special 
purpose.  I  couldn't  allow  the  possibility  of  a 
ghastly  mistake  being  made. 

I  produced  the  fateful  little  seal  leather  box,  and 
snapped  it  open  again.  "Are  these  the  lost  pearls  ?" 
I  asked. 


90 


Thieves'  Wit 


The  man  had  wonderful  lelf-control.  No  mus- 
cle of  his  face  changed.  Only  his  black  eyes  flamed 
up.  He  took  the  case  quietly,  but  those  eyes 
pounced  on  the  pearls  like  their  prey,  and  wolfed 
them  one  by  one.  He  returned  the  case  to  me.  A 
curious  smile  wreathed  the  corners  of  his  voluptuous 
mouth. 

"Those  are  the  pearls,"  he  said  quietly. 
"You  are  surer' 

"Sure?"     He  spread  out  his  hands.     "There  are 
no  other  such  pearls  in  the  world." 
I  returned  the  case  to  my  pocket. 
"Where  did  you  find  them?"  he  asked. 
"At  present  I  am  not  free  to  say  how  they  were 
recovered,"  I  replied.     "No  doubt  Miss  Hamerton 
will  give  it  out  later." 

"I  think  I  understand,"  he  said  with  a  compas- 
sionate air.  "I  suppose  there  will  be  no  prosecu- 
tion." 

"I  do  not  know,"  I  said  blandly. 
"Maybe  it  would  be  better  never  to  speak  of  the 
matter  to  her?"  he  said  softly. 

I  shrugged.  I  wasn't  going  to  let  him  get  any 
change  out  of  me. 

"Anyhow  it's  a  triumph  for  you,"  he  said  gra- 
ciously.    "Allow  me  to  congratulate  you." 

Was  there  a  faint  ring  of  irony  in  his  words?    In 

either  case  I  never  felt  less  triumphant.     What 

booted  it  to  return  her  jewels  if  I  hid  broken  her 

heart?     I  bowed  my  acknowledgment. 

As  he  left  he  said :    "Come  and  see  me  sometimes, 


Thieves'  Wit 


91 


though  the  case  !s  closed.     You  are  too  valuable  a 
man  for  me  to  lose  sight  of." 

I  bowed  again,  mutely  registering  a  resolve  to 
ask  him  a  thumping  figure  if  he  ever  did  require  my 
services. 

Meanwhile  I  had  the  reporters  to  deal  with.  1 
have  a  strong  fellow-feeling  for  the  boys.  As  a 
class  they  are  the  most  human  lot  of  fellows  I  know. 
They  do  not  make  the  rotten  conditions  of  their 
business.  But  they  certainly  are  the  devil  to  deal 
with  when  they  get  you  on  the  defensive.  They 
seemed  to  spread  through  that  hotel  like  quicksilver, 
bribing  the  bell-boys,  the  maids,  even  the  waiter 
who  brought  up  my  dinner.  If  we  had  not  been  on 
the  eleventh  story  I  should  have  expected  to  find 
them  peeping  in  the  windows. 

I  did  not  dare  see  them  myself.  In  my  anoma- 
lous position  they  would  have  made  a  monkey  of 
me.  In  my  mind's  eye  I  could  see  the  story  of  the 
mysterious  stranger  who  claimed  to  represent  Miss 
Hamerton,  etc.,  etc.  I  had  to  take  every  precau- 
tion, too,  to  keep  them  from  that  fool  of  a  Mrs. 
Bleecker.  I  carefully  drilled  the  doctors  in  what 
they  should  say,  and  then  sent  them  down  to  their 
fate.  They  came  off  better  than  I  expected.  Of 
course  the  lurid  tales  did  appear  next  day,  but  they 
were  away  beside  the  mark.  Nothing  approaching 
the  truth  was  ever  published. 

A  little  before  five  everybody  had  gone,  and  I  was 
alone  in  the  sitting-room  gazing  out  of  the  window 
and  indulging  in  gloomy  enough  thoughts,  when  I 


9a 


Thieves'  Wit 


heard  the  door  behind  me  open.  I  turned  with  a 
ligh,  expecting  fresh  complainti  and  demands  from 
the  old  harridan.  But  there  was  Irma  trying  to 
smile  at  me.  She  was  wearing  a  white  negligee  af- 
fair that  made  her  look  like  a  fragile  lily.  She 
walked  with  a  firm  step,  but  her  face  shocked  me. 
It  looked  dead.  The  eyes  open,  were  infinitely 
more  ghastly  than  when  I  had  laid  her  down  with 
them  closed.  Mrs.  Bleecker  and  the  maid  followed, 
buzzing  around  her.  She  seemed  to  have  reached 
the  limits  of  her  patience  with  them. 

"Let  me  be  I"  she  said  as  sharply  as  I  ever  heard 
her  speak.  "I  am  perfectly  well  able  to  walk  and 
to  speak.  Please  go  back  to  the  bedroom.  I  have 
business  to  discuss  with  Mr.  Enderby." 

They  retired,  bearing  me  no  love  in  their  hearts. 
"I  must  go  away,  quite  by  myself,"  she  said,  speak- 
ing at  random.     "Can  you  help  me  find  a  place, 
some  place  where  nobody  knows  me?     If  I  do  not 
get  away  from  these  people  they  will  drive  me  mad  I" 
"I  will  find  you  a  place,"  I  said. 
"Perhaps  I'd  better  not  go  alone,"  she  said.    "If 
I  could  only  find  the  right  kind  of  person.     I'm  so 
terribly  alone.    That  nice  girl  you  brought  into  the 
company.  Miss  Farrell,  do  you  think  she  would  go 
with  me?" 

There  was  something  in  this  more  painful  than  I 
can  convey.     "She'd  jump  at  the  chance,"  I  said 
brusquely. 
"You  have  been  so  good  to  me,"  she  said. 


Thieves'  Wit  93 

'•You  can  lay  that  I"  I  laid,  astonished. 
"Oh,  I've  not  quite  taken  leave  of  my  senses,"  she 
said  bitterly.     "If  I  had  not  known  the  truth,  it 
would  have  been  much  worse." 

This  struck  me  as  extraordinary  generosity  in  a 
woman  who  loved. 

"I— I  have  something  else  to  ask  of  you,"  she  said 
in  the  piteous  beseeching  way  that  made  me  want  to 
cast  myself  at  her  feet. 
"Anything;,"  I  murmured. 
"Mr.  Quarles  is  coming  here  at  five.  Please  see 
him  and  tell  him— Oh  I  tell  him  anything  you  like, 
anything  that  will  keep  him  from  ever  trying  to  see 
me  again." 

I  nodded.  "You  had  ter  lose  no  time  in  get- 
ting out  of  this,"  I  suggested.  "Can  you  be  ready 
by  to-morrow  morning?" 

"I  will  start  packing  now,"  she  said.  "It  will 
give  me  something  to  do." 

How  well  I  una-rstood  the  hic'eous  blankness  that 
faced  her. 

"Don't  let  those  women  bother  you,"  I  said. 
"Refer  them  to  me." 

"They  mean  well,"  she  said. 

"I  will  £  swer  for  Miss  Farrell,"  I  said.  "She'll 
be  here  at  nine  to-morrow." 

She  started  to  thank  me  again,  but  I  would  not 
let  her  go  on.     J  really  could  not  stand  it. 

"Very  well,  you  will  see,"  she  said  with  a  smile, 
and  left  me. 


94 


Thieves'  Wit 


Shortly  afterwards  Roland  Quarlet  came  strid- 
ing down  the  hall.  I  opened  the  door  to  him.  He 
wai  a*toniihed  to  find  a  strange  man  in  the  room. 
He  did  not  recognise  me  without  my  Faxon  makeup. 

"Enderby,"  I  said  in  response  to  his  enquiring 
glance.    "You  met  me  here  once  before." 

"What's  this  I  hear  downstairs  about  Miss  Ham- 
erton  being  sick?"  he  demanded  anxiously. 

"She  has  had  a  nervous  breakdown,"  I  said. 

He  was  not  deceived.  "What  does  that  mean  ?" 
he  demanded.     "She  was  quite  well  yesterday." 

I  shrugged. 

"Can  I  see  her^" 

I  shook  m>  head. 

"I  will  speak  to  Mrs.  Bleecker,  then." 

"You  can't  see  her,  either." 

"Who  are  you  ?"  he  demanded,  as  so  many  others 
had  done. 

I  gave  him  my  card,  hoping  that  he  would  take 
the  hint,  and  save  me  further  explanations. 

Not  a  bit  of  it.  "Investigator?  What  does  that 
mean?    Detective?" 

"Precisely." 

"What's  it  all  about?"  he  cried  irritaMy.  "Why 
are  you  looking  at  me  like  a  policeman?" 

"Look  at  me  close,"  I  said. 

He  stared  at  me  angry  and  puzzled.  "I  have  seen 

you  before — more  than  once "    Then  his  face 

changed.     "Faxon I"  he  cried.    "Is  it  Faxon?" 

"The  same,"  I  said. 

"What  are  you  doing  here  ?"  he  demanded. 


Thieves*  Wit 


95 


Thii  parade  of  innocence  began  to  cxatperate 
me.     "Do  you  need  to  ailc?"  I  said. 

"Oh,  for  Heaven's  take  don't  play  with  wordi," 
he  burst  out.  "Tell  me  what's  the  matter  and  be 
done  with  it." 

"Miss  Hamerton's  pearl  necklace  was  stolen  from 
the  theatre  two  months  ago.  She  engaged  me  to 
recover  it." 

"Her  peak's  I     Stolen  I"  he  ejaculated,  amazed. 
I  could  not  l-ave  asked  to  see  it  better  done. 
"Do  you  still  want  me  to  go  on?"  I  asked. 
"Oh,  drop  the  mystery  1"  he  cried.     "You  fellows 
fatten  on  mystery  I" 

"As  Faxon  in  the  th  tre  I  was  perfectly  sincere 
in  my  friendship  for  you,"  I  went  on.  "I  liked  you. 
But  little  by  little  against  my  will  I  was  forced  to 
believe  that  you  were  the  thief." 

This  touched  bim,  but  not  quite  1:  the  way  I  ex- 
pected. "Me?  The  thief f  he  gasped— and  sud- 
denly burst  into  harsh  laughter.  "How  did  you 
arrive  at  that?" 

I  was  no  longer  inclined  to  spare  him.  "In  the 
first  place  you  provoked  a  bet  with  Miss  Hamerton 
which  induced  her  to  wear  the  real  pearls  on  the 
night  they  were  stolen." 

His  face  turned  grave.  "True,"  he  said.  "I  for- 
got that.     What  else?" 

"On  April  sixth  you  deposited  forty  thousand  dol- 
lars  in  cash  in  the  Second  National  Bank." 
He  paled.     "Anything  more?" 


96 


Thieves'  Wit 


"Do  you  care  to  explain  where  you  got  it?"  I 
asked. 

"Not  to  you,"  he  said  proudly.    "Go  on  with  your  ' 
story."  ' 

"My  first  due  was  in  the  cryptic  letter  found  on 
the  stage." 

"I  remember.     You  couldn't  translate  it." 

"But  I  did." 

"What's  it  got  to  do  with  me?" 

"Nothing.  But  I  found  a  second  letter  written  in 
the  same  cryptogram  and  about  the  same  matters  in 
your  pocket." 

"That's  a  lie!*' he  said. 

"If  you  want  to  see  it  it's  at  my  office." 

"If  you  did  find  such  a  paper  in  my  pocket  it  was 
planted  there." 

"I  should  be  glad  to  believe  you  were  not  the 
man,"  I  said  mildly. 

"Spare  me  your  assurances,"  he  said  scornfully. 
He  was  silent  for  a  while,  thinking  over  what  I 
had  told  him.  Slowly  horror  grew  in  his  face.  "But 
— ^but  this  is  only  a  devilish  combination  of  circum- 
stances," he  stammered.  "You  haven't  proved  any- 
thing."  ' 

"The  pearls  have  been  recovered,"  I  said. 

"Where?"  he  shot  at  me. 

"In  your  safe." 

His  legs  failed  him  suddenly.  He  half  fell  in  a 
chair,  staring  at  me  witlessly.  "Oh,  my  Godl"  he 
muttered  huskily.     "Those,  hersl" 

I  believe  I  smiled 


Thieves'  Wit  97 

"And  you— you  have  told  her  this  story?"  he  fal- 
tered. 

"That's  what  I  was  engaged  for." 

u'i?T\'".^.*^°*^'"  *"=  "iterated  blankly.     "What 
snail  I  do" 

His  agony  was  genuine  enough.  In  spite  of  my- 
self I  was  moved  by  it.  "Better  go,"  I  said.  "The 
matter  will  be  hushed  up,  of  course." 

"Hushed  up  I"  he  cried.    "Never  I" 

This  theatrical  pretence  of  innocence  provoked 
me  afresh.  "Oh,  get  out  I"  I  said.  "And  be  thank- 
ful  you  re  getting  off  so  easily!" 

He  paid  no  attention  to  me.  "I  must  see  her  " 
he  muttered. 

"What  do  you  expect  to  gain  by  bluffing  now?"  I 
said  impatiently.  "You  must  see  that  the  game  is 
up. 

"I  wiU  not  leave  here  without  seeing  her."  he 
said  with  a  kind  of  dull  obstinacy. 

"You  have  me  at  a  disadvantage,"  I  said  bitterly. 
You  know  I  can't  have  you  thrown  out  without 
causing  a  scandal." 

He  scarcely  seemed  to  hear  me.  "I  wiU  go  when 
she  sends  me,"  he  muttered. 

"AH  right,  my  patience  is  equal  to  yours,"  I  said 

bo  there  we  sat,  he  with  his  ghastly  white  face 

turned  towards  the  door  into  the  inner  rooms,  mois- 

tcnmg  his  lips  from  time  to  time,  I  looking  out  of 

the  window. 

To  make  matters  worse,  Mrs.  Blcecker  came 
Clucking  m.     She,  Knowing  nothing,  fell  on  Quaries' 


98 


Thieves'  Wit 


neck,  so  to  speak,  and  told  him  all  her  troubles  with 
sidelong  shots  at  me. 

He  paid  little  attention  to  her  vapouring,  only  re- 
peating in  his  ghastly,  blank  way:  "I  must  see 
Irma." 

"Of  course!"  said  Mrs.  Bleecker.  "I'll  tell  her 
you're  here." 

"Mrs.  Bleecker,  as  a  friend,  I  advise  you  not  to 
interfere,"  I  said  sternly. 

She  went  out,  flouncing  her  skirts  at  me. 

To  my  surprise,  Miss  Hamerton  presently  came 
in.  I  cannot  say  yrhat  led  her  to  do  it,  perhaps  she 
was  hoping  against  hope  that  he  could  defend  him- 
self. There  was  no  sign  of  weakness  in  her  now. 
Her  face  was  as  composed  as  marble.  Mrs.  Bleecker 
did  not  return. 

"Irma,"  he  cried,  "send  this  fellow  away." 

I  made  haste  to  go,  but  she  kept  me.  "Mr.  En- 
derby  must  stay,"  she  said.  "He  is  your  friend," 
she  added. 

He  made  a  gesture  of  despair.  A  hideous  silence 
descended  on  the  three  of  us. 

"You  asked  to  see  me,"  she  said  at  last. 

"Irma,  do  you  believe  this  of  me?"  he  cried  like 
a  soul  out  of  Hell. 

"I  am  willing  to  hear  anything  you  have  to  say," 
she  murmured. 

"What  does  evidence  matter?"  he  cried.  "Do 
you  believe  me  capable  of  such  a  thing?" 

"Am  I  not  forced  to?"  she  said  very  low. 

His  head  dropped.     I  never  saw  such  hopeless 


Thieves'  Wit 


99 


I  feh  like  an  exe- 


wretchedness  in  a  man's  face, 
cutioner. 

"Speak  up !"  I  said  sharply.  "We  are  anxious  to 
believe  in  you." 

He  shook  his  head.  "It  doesn't  matter,"  he  said 
m  a  stifled  voice.  "I  doubt  if  I  could  dear  myself. 
Anyway  I  shan't  try.     It— it  is  killed  I" 

He  bent  a  look  of  fathomless  reproach  on  her. 
"Good-bye,  Irma,"  he  said  quietly.  "I'm  glad  I  was 
the  means  of  your  getting  your  jewels  back.  I 
never  knew  they  had  been  stolen." 

This  to  me  was  the  purest  exhibition  of  cheek  I 
had  ever  met  with.  I  was  hard  put  to  it  to  keep  my 
hands  off  the  man.  If  she  had  not  been  there  I  He 
went.  And  when  I  turned  around  Irma  had  gone 
back  mto  the  next  room.     I  was  angry  through  and 

through,  and  yet— and  yet 1    A  nagging  little 

doubt  teased  me. 

So  ended,  as  I  thought,  the  case  of  the  blue  pearls. 
Little  did  I  suspect  what  was  on  the  way. 


10 

'T\IE  foUowing  day  was  a  blue  one  for  me.    De- 
X    pnved  of  all  the  exciting  activities  of  the  past 
few  weeks  I  was  at  a  loss  what  to  do  with  myself. 
Moreover,  I  was  dissatisfied  with  the  result  of  those 
activities      I  had  won  out,  so  to  speak,  but  my 
client  nad  not     For  her  only  tragic  unhappiiiess  had 
come  of  It.     Meanwhile  that  little  inner  voice  con- 
tinued  to  whisper  that  I  had  not  got  to  the  bottom 
ot  the  case.    I  could  not  put  that  young  fellow's 
amazed  and  despairing  face  out  of  my  mind.     It 
?   .WL  .'".*°  ^^  *'"=°'T'  °f  •>»  K"!lt-     On  top  of 
fore  "^  *'"""'  "'^  ^'*^'*  *'•'  "'«••*  ''*• 

About  noon  my  uncomfortable  thoughts  were 
broken  mto  by  ths  entrance  of  Sadie  herself  with 
storm  signals  flying,  to  n-it:  a  pair  of  flashing  blue 
eyes  and  a  red  flag  hoisted  in  either  cheek.  I  had 
supposed  that  she  was  already  on  the  way  to  Amit  - 
viUe  with  Miss  Hamerton,  where  they  were  to  stay 
at  a  sanatorium  conducted  by  a  doctor  friend  of 
mine. 

Before  I  could  speak  she  exploded  like  a  bomb  in 

"Eh?"  I  said,  blinking  and  looking  precious  like 
one,  I  expect. 
She  repeated  it  with  amplifications. 

100 


Thieves'  Wit 


lOI 


"So  you  said  last  night,"  I  remarked. 
But  I  hadn't  seen  her  then." 
"Aren't  you  going  to  the  country?"  I  asked,  hop- 
ing to  create  a  diversion. 

''Yes,  at  two  o'clock.     But  I  had  to  see  you  first." 
lo  tell  me  what  you  thought  of  me?" 
To  beg  you  to  do  something." 
"What  is  there  to  do?" 

*i.  -^r"  ^Z^  ""^"^^  *  ''''^""''  "•"*"''«= '    Ruined  both 
tneir  lives  I 

I  may  have  had  my  own  doubts,  but  it  wouldn't 
nave  been  human  to  confess  them  in  the  face  of  an 
attack  like   this.     "Easy,  there!"    I   said  sulkily 
Have  yon  discovered  any  new  evidence?" 

"Oh,  evidence!"  she  cried  scornfully.  "I  know 
he  couldn't  have  stolen  her  pearls,  and  in  your  heart 
you  know  it,  too." 

"Sorry,"  I  said  sarcastically,  "but  in  conducting 

hlart""""*        *°  *'°'""'*  ""^  '^"'^  ''^^°"  ""y 

"I  know  it!"  she  said  bitterly.  "That's  why 
you've  been  a  fool!"  ' 

''Well,  next  time  I'll  consult  a  clairvoyant." 
Oh,  don't  try  to  be  clever!     It's  too  dreadful! 
If  you  had  seen  her  I    She  will  never  act  again.  And 

donT  ""^  ''™"*^'  '^  ^^ ''"  "°*  "''"'^y 

This  struck  a  chiU  to  my  breast.  Sadie  had  an 
intuitive  sense  that  I  could  not  afford  to  despise 
At  the  same  time  having  been  called  a  fool,  I  couldn't 
back  down. 


102 


Thieves'  Wit 


'I  don't  see  what  better  he  can  do,"  I  said  hardily. 

"You  can  say  that  I"  she  said  aghast.  "You  don't 
mean  it  I" 

A  very  real  jealousy  made  me  hot.  That  hand- 
some young  blackguard  had  all  the  women  with  him. 
"Are  you  in  love  with  him,  too?"  I  asked  sarcas- 
tically. 

It  was  a  mistake.    She  had  me  there.     "You're 
doing  your  best  to  make  me,"  she  retorted. 
^^  "What  are  you  abusing  me  for?"  I  complained. 
"I  did  no  more  than  what  I  was  engaged  to  do." 

"She  was  distracStedl"  said  Sadie.  "She  couldn't 
think  for  herself.     She  depended  on  you." 

"Well,  I  did  the  best  I  could  for  her,"  I  said  dog- 
gedly. "You  seem  to  think  that  I  enjoyed  doing 
it.     There  is  a  perfect  case  against  him." 

"There  is  not  1"  she  said  quickly.  "Your  own  evi- 
dence that  you  set  such  a  store  by  is  full  of  holes  I" 
I  invited  her  to  point  them  out. 
"One  of  your  points  against  him  is  that  he  lately 
came  into  possession  of  a  lot  of  money,  presumably 
the  proceeds  of  the  theft.  Yet  you  found  the  peaf Is 
on  him,  too.    One  fact  contradicts  the  other." 

"How  do  I  know  what  other  activities  he's  been 
engaged  in?" 

"You  do  not  believe  that." 
"I  beg  your  pardon,"  I  said  stiffly.     "Permit  me 
to  know  my  own  beliefs." 

"If  it  wasn't  true  it  wouldn't  anger  you." 
"I  am  not  angry."     I  smiled  to  prove  it. 


Thieves'  Wit  103 

"How  can  I  talk  to  you  if  you  act  like  such  a 
child  I"  cried  Sadie. 

*|Never  mind  my  actions.  Stick  to  his." 
"You  know  very  well  that  he  could  not  have  car- 
ried  out  several  successful  robberies  without  a  lot 
of  experience.  His  whole  open  life  gives  the  lie 
to  that.  Have  we  not  gone  into  every  part  of  it?" 
"I  know  I  found  the  pearls  on  him,"  I  said  dog- 
gcdly.  "They  could  not  very  well  have  been  planted 
m  a  locked  drawer  in  his  own  safe.  He  did  not 
even  claim  that  they  were." 

She  ignored  this.  "And  that  cryptogram,"  she 
went  on,  "I  mean  the  first  one.  It  didn't  say  so  in 
so  many  words,  but  the  inference  was  unmistakable 
that  Miss  Hamerton's  pearls  had  been  disposed  of, 
and  that  part  of  the  proceeds  was  waiting  for  the 
thief.     How  do  you  account  for  that?" 

I  did  not  try  to  account  for  it.     I  pooh-poohed 
It.     "He  convicted  himself,"  I  insisted.     "We  • 
vited  him,  we  begged  him  to  oqplain.     He  cou  i 
not." 

"Would  not,  you  mean." 

"What's  the  difference?" 

She  favoured  me  with  an  extraordinary  glance  of 
scorn.  "And  you  get  up  to  understand  human  na- 
turel" 

"Well,  let  me  have  your  understanding  of  it,"  T 
said  sarcastically. 

"He  was  b  love  with  her,"  said  Sadie.  "I  sup- 
pose you  don't  question  that." 


104 


Thieves'  Wit 


"No,  strange  as  it  teem*,  I  believe  he  wai  in  love 
with  her." 

"That  makes  goose  eggs  of  all  your  fine  reason- 
ing! Reason  all  night  and  it  wouldn't  make  sense. 
He  might  have  stolen  anybody  else's  pearls  but 
never  hers.  It  was  she  who  wronged  love  in  be- 
lieving that  he  could.  To  find  out  that  she  sus- 
pected him  killed  his  love  dead.  Losing  that,  what 
did  he  care  about  his  reputation?  If  he  does  away 
with  himself  it  will  be  not  because  he  was  accused 
of  a  theft,  but  because  she  killed  his  trust  in  her, 
and  he  doesn't  caije  to  live  without  it." 

I  listened  to  all  this  with  an  affected  smile  of  su- 
periority, but  it  reached  me.  Every  word  that  the 
unhappy  Quarles  had  uttered  fitted  in  with  Sadie's 
theory, 

"Suppose  some  one  accused  you  of  stealing  Miss 
Hamerton'c  purse  to  buy  me  a  present,"  she  went  on, 
artfully  changing  her  tone.  "I  would  make  a  tre- 
mendous virtuous  fuss,  of  course,  but  in  my  heart 
I  couldn't  love  you  any  less,  though  you  might  not 
have  the  sense  to  know  it.  But  if  they  said  you  had 
stolen  my  purse  to  buy  me  something,  how  I  would 
laugh  I     It's  too  silly  for  words." 

I  was  rapidly  weakening,  but  it  was  damnably  hard 
to  own  up. 

"The  same  with  this  case.  You  think  I'm  in 
love  with  Quarles  because  I  defend  him.  That's 
just  like  a  man  I  The  truth  is,  what  hurts  me  is  to 
see  you  deceive  yourself,  and  then  look  fatuous 
about  it." 


Thieves'  Wit  IQ5 

un^'.T'"  "*"'  wielding  a  double^dged  $word. 

But  if  the  woman  who  loves  him  was  deceived, 
"""tu    !*"'"  '"""^  excuse,"  I  said  meekly. 

That's  the  weaknes  of  her  character— or  the  pen- 
alty  of  her  position,  whichever  you  like.  She  is  so 
lurrounded  by  flattery  and  meanness,  it  has  taught 
her  to  suspect  even  her  lover." 

"But  how  did  the  pearls  get  in  his  safe?"  I  cried, 
begging  for  mercy. 

"I  don't  know.     It's  a  mystery.     I'm  only  trying 

to  show  you  that  you  haven't  solved  the  mystery 

yet.       One;  more  she  changed  her  tone,  the  witch  I 

1  m  so  keen  to  have  you  make  a  great  success  of  the 

case,  Ben.     And  to  help  a  little." 

That  completed  the  rout  of  my  forces.  "Sadie, 
darling,  I  cried.  "In  my  heart  I  feel  the  same  as 
you.  I  would  have  given  in  at  once  if  you  hadn't 
begun  by  slapping  my  face  I" 

There  was  a  little  private  interlude  here.  Boss 
and  operative  were  lost  sight  of. 

''Now  let's  get  to  work  I"  I  said. 

"I  hope  it's  not  too  late  I"  she  said  sadly. 


II 

T    HASTENED  down  to  Quarle.'  room*  near 
J.      Gramercy  Square.     I  found  hit  old  house- 
keeper  in  tears.     My  glimpse  beyond  her  showed 
me  that  the  place  was  partly  dismantled.    I  found 
that  she  was  halfheartedly  packing.    She  did  not 
know  me  without  my  Faxon  makeup,  and  refused 
any  mformation.     I  suspected  that  she  had  been  for- 
bidden to  speak.'    However,  by  adroit  and  sympa- 
thetic questioning,  and  because  the  poor  old  soul  was 
bursting  with  her  troubles,  it  finaUy  came  out  with 
a  rush.    She  thought  her  master  had  lost  his  mind, 
he  had  acted  so  strangely,  but  such  was  her  awe  of 
him,  she  had  not  dared  question  his  commands. 

AU  night  long  he  had  paced  his  bedroom  and  sit- 
ting^oom,  pausing  only  to  bum  papers  and  cher- 
ished mementos  in  the  grate.  When  she  had  risen 
from  her  bed  and  timidily  enquired  if  he  were  ill, 
he  had  harshly  ordered  her  back  to  her  room.  There 
she  had  lain  trembling  until  morning,  grieving  be- 
cause  she  thought  she  had  offended  him. 

He  had  left  his  breakfast  untastcd.  Afterwards 
he  had  caUed  her  to  him,  and  in  a  voice  and  man- 
ner totally  unlike  his  own,  had  announced  that  he 
was  going  away,  and  had  given  her  instructions  that 
temfied  her.  His  furniture  was  to  be  sent  to  an 
auctioneer's  under  an  assumed  name,  and  was  to  be 
to6 


Thieves'  Wit 


107 


put  up  on  the  firrt  ule  day.  She  was  to  keep  what 
It  brought  in  lieu  of  wages.  Hit  dothei  were  to 
be  lent  to  the  Salvation  Army.  Hit  jewelry  and 
knick-knackt  the  might  tell  or  keep  at  the  chose. 
On  lecond  thoughtt  he  had  written  out  hit  instruc 
tions  in  the  form  of  a  letter  to  hrr  in  case  any  of  her 
acts  should  be  questioned.  He  had  then  called  a 
taxi  from  the  stable  he  usually  patronised,  and  had 
departed  without  any  baggage.  This  last  fact 
alarmed  her  more  than  all  the  reit. 

All  thit  read  fatally  clear.  I  wat  careful,  how- 
ever,  to  make  light  of  it  to  the  grief-ttricken  old 
woman.  I  assumed  an  authority  which  the  will- 
ingly deferred  to.  I  ordered  her  to  put  the  rooms 
m  order,  and  not  to  make  any  other  move  until  she 
heard  from  me  again.  She  wat  vastly  cheered. 
What  she  dwelt  ur.  most  tragically  was  the  neces- 
sity of  sending  all  his  beautiful  suits  to  the  ragged 
crew  who  profited  by  the  Salvation  Army's  benefac- 
tions. 

I  found  out  from  the  faxi  stable  that  Quarlet  had 
been  driven  to  the  Pennsylvania  ttation.  I  go';  hold 
of  his  driver,  a  man  frequently  employed  bj^  him. 
He  had  remarked  his  strange  appearance  this  mom- 
mg.  On  reaching  the  station  Quarlet  had  asked  the 
porter  who  opened  the  cab  door  what  time  the  next 
train  left  for  Baltimore.  On  learning  that  he  had 
but  three  minutes  to  catch  it,  he  had  thrust  a  bill  in 
the  chauffeur's  hand,  and  rushed  away.  This  had 
been  at  ten  o'clock;  it  was  now  nearly  one.  I  had 
the  same  driver  carry  me  to  the  station,  where  I 


io8 


ThiVW  Wit 


telephoned  Sadie,  matched  t  bite  to  eat,  and  caught 
the  next  expreu  South. 

It  wai  not  the  most  cheerful  journey  I  have  taken. 
I  had  four  houri  to  think  over  the  tragic  poiiibili. 
ties  of  my  mistake,  and  it  wa*  tmall  comfort  to  re- 
flect that  it  wai  a  natural  mistake.  Quarlei,  with 
hit  three  houn'  start  had  only  too  much  time  to 
put  hit  purpose  into  effect.  My  only  hope  was  that 
he  might  instinctively  be  led  to  wait  until  night. 
Darkness  has  an  invincible  attraction  for  desperate 
souls. 

Arriving  in  Baltimore  I  had  the  whole  wide  city  to 
choose  from,  arid  not  a  clue.  No  chance  of  any- 
body's having  marked  him  in  ♦he  crowd  that  left 
the  train  there.  However,  I  happened  to  know  of 
a  certain  select  hotel  invariably  patronised  by  the 
flite  of  the  profession,  and  I  went  there  on  a  chance. 
The  clerk  I  saw  did  not  know  Mr.  Quarles,  but  upon 
my  describing  him  he  said  that  such  a  young  man 
had  been  in  the  hotel  during  the  afternoon.  He  was 
not  registered  there.  He  recollected  him  because 
he  had  stopped  at  the  desk  to  ask  an  unusual  ques- 
tion. Did  the  clerk  know  where  there  was  a  taxi- 
dermist in  town?  Together  they  had  looked  up  air 
address  in  the  business  directory,  and  the  young  ...an 
had  departed.     He  had  not  returned. 

I  hastened  to  tne  taxidermist's  wondering  greatly 
what  could  have  been  Quarles*  errand  in  such  a 
place.  Casting  back  in  my  mind,  I  remembered 
having  seen  several  little  cases  of  mounted  butter- 
flies among  his  treasures.     There  was  something 


Thieves'  Wit  109 

pathetically  innocent  :n  the  wide  open  trail  the  young 
fellow  wai  leaving  behind  him.  Thit  aurely  wai 
no  experienced  criminal. 

The  itore  was  kept  by  a  benignant  old  man  who 
somehow  seemed  to  belong  with  the  stuffed  birds 
and  pet  dogs  that  lined  the  walls  of  his  little  place. 
I  also  saw  many  little  frames  of  impaled  beetles  and 
butterflies  such  as  I  had  seen  i..  Quarles'  rooms. 
The  entire  place  had  an  old  world  look. 

The  old  fellow  was  a  kindly,  garrulous  soul  who 
required  not  the  slightest  pressure  to  set  him  talk- 
ing. Quarles,  it  appeared,  had  made  quite  an  im- 
pression on  him.  "A  handsome  young  fellow  I"  he 
said,  "and  such  a  gentleman."  Quarles,  he  said, 
had  been  attracted  into  his  shop  by  the  butterflies, 
and  Jiey  had  fallen  into  talk  about  butterfly  hunting, 
of  which  sport  both  were  devotees.  Quarles  had 
finally  purchased  three  beautiful  specimens  of  some- 
thing with  a  terrible  Latin  name. 

As  he  was  about  to  le?ve,  Queries  had  remarked 
that  he  was  on  his  way  out  of  town  for  a  jaunt,  and 
he  had  neglected  to  provide  himself  with  any  cya- 
nide. It  seems  that  cyanide  is  what  they  use  to  kill 
the  insects.  In  all  innocence  the  old  man  had  fur- 
nished  it,  and  his  customer  with  one  more  question 
had  departed.  Where  was  there  a  second  hand 
clothes  dealer? 

Cyanide  of  potassium,  deadliest  of  poisons!     I 
hastened  to  the  second  hand  store  with  a  sickness 
at  the  heart. 
They  remembered  Quarles  here,  too.    The  story 


no 


Thieves'  Wit 


he  had  told  here  was  that  he  wanted  some  worn  old 
dodics  to  wear  to  a  masquerade.  He  had  been  fur- 
nished with  a  complete  outfit,  hat,  suit,  shirt,  socks 
and  shoes.  While  things  were  being  wrapped  up, 
he  had  mentioned  idly  that  he  was  a  stranger  in 
town,  and  he  had  a  couple  of  hours  to  kill.  He 
wanted  to  know  of  a  trolley  line  that  would  take 
him  out  in  the  country.  The  storekeeper  had  rec- 
ommended the  Annapolis  short  line  as  the  pleasant- 
est  ride  on  a  mild  evening. 

This  had  been  about  four,  and  it  was  now  a  little 
after  SIX.     I  had  caught  up  on  him  a  little.     I  found 
that  the  cars  left  for  Annapolis  every  half  hour. 
By  good  luck  the  car  which  had  left  at  four  returned 
while  I  was  Waiting  in  the  station.     I  interviewed 
the  conductor.     He  remembered  Quarles.    His  at- 
tention had  been  attracted  to  him  because,  although 
he  held  a  ticket  to  Annapolis,  he  had  suddenly  risen 
and  left  the  car  at  the  Severn  river  bridge  station. 
1  took  the  six-thirty  car  for  Annapolis.     The  con- 
ductor told  me  that  the  station  at  the  bridge  was 
used  principally  by  summer  residents  who  had  their 
motor  boats  meet  them  here.     At  this  season,  early 
m  May,  there  was  but  little  business  there.    It  was 
almost  dark  when  I  got  off,  a  balmy,  Spring  evening. 
It  was  a  lonely-looking  spot.     Th.re  was  a  little  set- 
tlement up  a  hill,  with  a  path  from  the  station,  but 
I  guessed  that  if  my  man  had  been  attracted  by  the 
loneliness  of  the  situation,  he  would  not  go  that  way 
I  looked  about.     Crossing  the  track  and  climbing 
down  to  a  deserted  strip  of  beach  beside  the  wide 


Thieves'  Wit  m 

sL"dJ°'""^  T"'**  "y  ""^"8''*  'hat  a  solitary  per- 
son  had  gone  that  way  before  me     H-         '^  ^ 

ng  a  shapely  shoe.     /hist.„,d  surelfbeT  "Th'; 

T^u  ^T.'"'  ''•""S  •'"!«!«=  the  river  towa'rds  its 
mouth,  which  was  in  view.  On  the  other  S  fa' 
ther  down.  sparUed  the  lights  of  the  Naval  Acad.' 

woria,  1  tound  the  remains  of  a  fire  on  the  sand 
The  embers  were  still  gWing.    Poking  among  tJ^m 

bi  s  of  broT  1  "°"1^'  '''' ''"'  --""  ^S-d 
Dits  Of  broken  glass.     Here  obviously,  Quarles  h  J 

changed  his  clothes,  and  had  destr^'  d  I  expe„ 
s.ve  garments  he  wore  to  the  scene.  Ev den  , The" 
was  counting  on  the  fact-  thn*  ^u  •  Tr'^'^entiy  he 
taken  tn  ^.f,Kr  u  u  .  f  ^*  '"ere  is  little  trouble 
sufc  r  Tu^^f  '^'  •'^*="*'>  °f  «  poorly  dressed 
suicide.  The  glass  was  no  doubt  what  remained  of 
the  case  of  butterfl  es  he  had  bouahf       ""'"ea  ot 

had  changed  his  shoes  with  the  rest     Hll  fi       I 

this  he  would  now  be  but  a  short  distance  ahead  o 
wn'MY"^°^"T'^  half  a  minute-half  o/ It 

"me  to  the  mam  road  from  Balrimore  to  An 
napohs  which  crosses  the  Severn  by  altheJlong 


112 


Thieves'  Wit 


bridge.  Automobiles  crossed  it  at  intervals.  Since 
the  footprints  were  not  resumed  in  the  sand  across 
the  road  it  was  clear  he  had  turned  into  it  one  way 
or  the  other.  The  river  seemed  likeliest.  I  started 
out  on  the  bridge,  dreading  most  of  all  to  hear  a 
splash  just  out  of  my  reach.  It  was  now  quite  dark. 
Out  in  the  middle  of  the  bridge  dose  to  the  draw 
I  came  upon  a  motionless,  slouching  figure  with  bat- 
tered hat  pulled  down  over  the  face.  Notwith- 
standing the  shapeless  clothes  the  tall  slenderness 
was  unmistakable.  He  was  leaning  with  his  elbows 
on  the  guard  rail  regarding  something  that  he  held 
in  one  hand.  The  object  caught  a  spark  frnm  the 
red  light  of  the  draw  overhead.  It  was  the  vial 
of  cyanide.  My  heart  bounded  with  relief.  I  was 
in  time — but  barely. 
"Quarles,"  I  said  softly. 

He  straightened  up  with  a  terrified  hissing  intake 
of  the  breath.  I  turned  the  flashlight  on  myself  to 
save  lengthy  explanations. 

"Youl"  he  said  after  a  moment,  in  a  low  bitter 
tone.  "God  1  must  you  dog  me  here  I" 
"I  am  your  friend,"  I  said. 
He  laughed.  "Friend  I"  he  said.  "That's  good !" 
Then  his  tone  changed.  "You'd  better  be  on  your 
way,"  he  said  threateningly.  "I'm  in  no  mood  for 
fooling." 

"I've  been  trying  to  overtake  you  since  noon,"  I 
said,  merely  to  be  saying  something.  An  instinct 
told  me  there  was  nothing  like  a  little  conversation  to 
let  down  a  desperate  man. 


"3 

"What 


She's 
I  won't 


Thieves'  Wit 

"Why,  in  God's  name?"  he  demanded. 

good  am  I  to  you  now?" 

"I  no  longer  believe  you  guilty." 
"I  don't  give  a  damn  what  you  believe." 
"I  want  you  to  help  me  find  the  thief." 
"It's  nothing  to  me  who  took  the  pearls, 

got  'em  back  again.    You'd  better  go  on. 

stand  for  any  interference." 

"You  won't  do  it  now,"  I  said  confidently. 
"Won't  II"  ' 

He  made  a  move  to  uncork  the  little  vial.  I 
struck  his  wrist  and  it  feU  to  the  ground.  We 
i.carched  for  it  frantically  in  the  dark.  I  had  the 
light,  and  I  saw  it  first.  I  put  my  heel  on  it,  and 
ground  the  fragile,  deadly  thing  into  the  planks  of 
the  bridge  floor.     He  cursed  me. 

^"There  is  still  the  water,"  I  said. 

"I'm  a  swimmer,"  he  said  sullenly.  "I  couldn't 
go  down.  I  meant  to  climb  on  ihe  rail  and  take  the 
stuff,  so  It  would  look  like  drowning.  But  there 
are  plenty  of  ways." 

"Be  a  man  and  liver  I  said. 

He  laughed  again.  "There's  nothing  in  that  cant 
for  a  man  who's  sick  of  the  game." 

"Live  for  her  sake,"  I  hazarded.  "She  loves 
you. 

"You've  mistaken  your  job,  old  man,"  he  said 
with  gnm  amusement.  "You  ought  to  be  a  play, 
wnght.  Write  her  a  play.  She's  a  great  actress. 
Yah  I  Im  sick  of  itl  Lovel  There's  no  such 
thing.    Not  in  women!     This  is  real,  anyhow  " 


H4 


Thieves'  Wit 


i  had  got  him  talking.  Something  told  me  the 
crisis  was  past.    I  took  a  new  tack. 

"She  certainly  has  treated  you  badly,"  I  said.  "I 
don't  wonder  you're  sore.  I  know  just  how  you 
feel." 

He  turned  on  me  with  clenched  fist  and  a  furious 
command  to  be  silent.  "It's  no  damned  policeman's 
business  what  I  feell" 

"Revenge  is  sweet,"  I  murmured. 

It  brought  him  up  all  standing.  In  the  dirk  I 
heard  falin  breathing  quickly. 

"Do  you  want  to  crawl  away  like  a  cur  and  dif  'n 
a  hole?"  I  ask^d. 

"Why  in  Hell  can't  you  let  me  alone?"  he  said 
fretfully.  "What  do  you  want  to  drag  me  back 
for?" 

I  saw  I  had  him  going  now.  "Make  her  suffer," 
I  urged.  "The  most  perfect  revenge  in  the  world 
IS  yours  if  you  want  it,  because  she  loves  you." 

"What  are  you  getting  at?" 

"Prove  your  innocence  to  her." 

"I  doubt  if  I  could,"  he  said  weakly.  "I  shouldn't 
know  how  to  begin.     I  seem  to  be  caught  in  a  net." 

"I  am  offering  to  help  you." 

''What's  your  game?"  he  demanded  suspiciously. 

"I've  made  a  serious  mistake,"  I  said.  "I've  got 
my  professional  reputation  to  think  of.  Besides, 
I'm  orJy  human.  I  don't  want  to  have  your  un^ 
timely  ?nd  on  my  conscience." 

'It  needn't  bt.     I'm  my  own  master." 
I  decided  to  risk  all  on  one  throw.     I  laid  a  hand 


Thieves'  Wit  115 

"You'an^r"'^"-     "^°^  ^"'"  '   «id   frankly, 
rou  and  I  are  not  strangers.     We  took  to  each 
other  from  the  first,  though  I  happened  to  be  wear^ 
"Jg  a  d.sgu.se.    I  have  suffered  like  the  devil  all  day 

fnend.     Friendship  isn't  ,uch  a  common  thing  in 
spue  of  all  the  talk  about  it.    I  should  think  yfu'd 
" •■Sv  U.'f  ^'"^  ^'•'"  •**»  °ff"'d  to  you" 
frie„d,h-'  '•'  «T"^^-     "^  d""'*  I'^licve  in 

friendship     I  never  had  a  real  friend."     But  he 
didn  t  shake  my  hand  off, 

"Try  me." 

"Oh  well,  you've  spoiled  it  for  to-night,  anyway 
ni  hs  en  to  ^at  you've  got  to  say.  Vherrcan 

plaZ""'  "  '"''''"  ^  "''*  ^°y'""y-     "I'«  «nd  a 


12 

WE  proceeded  on  across  the  bridge  into  the 
town  of  Annapolis.  First  I  took  Roland  to 
a  lunch  room  and  commanded  'lim  to  eat.  I  had  a 
time  getting  him  to  swallow  the  first  mouthful,  but 
that  once  down,  he  developed  a  ravenous  appetite. 
I  suppose  he  had  not  eaten  in  thirty  hours.  It  was 
comical  to  tee  how,  with  a  stomachful  of  hot  food 
inside  him,  a  zest  in  living  renewed  itself.  The 
more  his  resolution  weakened,  the  louder  he  in- 
veighed against  life.  But  he  had  a  sense  of  hu- 
mour. He  suddenly  became  conscious  of  the  ab- 
surdity of  his  attitude,  and  we  laughed  together. 
From  that  moment  he  was  safe,  and  he  was  mine. 
There  is  nothing  to  cement  a  friendship  like  laugh- 
ter. 

Afterwards  I  got  a  room  in  an  obscure  hotel. 
Roland  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  bed,  and  pro- 
ceeded  to  give  me  his  version  of  the  matters  that 
perplexed  me  so.  In  the  middle  o'  a  sentence  he 
fell  over  and  slept  like  a  dead  man.  I  stole  out 
and  telegraphed  Sadie  at  Amityville  that  I  had  him 
safe  and  sound.  Returning,  I  sat  by  the  hour 
watching  him.  My  heart  was  soft  for  the  human 
creature  I  had  snatched  from  the  brink.  He  looked 
very  boyish  and  appealing  as  he  lay  sleeping.  He 
seemed  years  younger  than  I.     I  cannot  tell  you  how 

116 


Thieves'  Wit  117 

glad  I  was  to  think  that  there  was  warmth  in  the 
young  body,  and  sentience  under  the  shut  lids. 

Shortly  after  midnight  he  awoke  as  suddenly  and 
thoroughly  as  ha  had  fallen  asleep.  Then  he  wanted 
to  talk.  He  \  is  bursting  with  talk.  I  swallowed 
my  yawns  and  set  myself  to  listen.  I  let  him  talk 
in  his  own  way,  no  questions.  For  a  long  time  I 
listened  to  what  I  already  knew,  the  tale  of  his  jeal- 
ous, hopeless  passion  for  Irma.  Sometimes  he  had 
suspected  that  she  inclined  towards  him,  but  it 
seemed  preposterous  to  ask  her  to  give  up  her  pro- 
fession for  him.  On  the  other  hand  he  knew  he 
could  not  endure  sharing  his  wife  with  the  public. 
He  had  decided  to  go  away  without  speaking— and 
then  the  miraculous  legacy  had  dropped  from  the 
skies. 

"Tell  me  all  about  that,"  I  commanded. 

•'I  promised  not  to  tell,"  he  said  reluctantly. 

"This  is  a  matter  of  life  and  death.  Why  was 
a  promise  exacted?" 

"To  avoid  publicity." 

"There  wiU  be  none,"  I  said.  "T  pledge  myself 
to  guard  the  secret  as  well  as  you  could." 

"I  destroyed  the  letter  I  got,  with  the  others," 
he  said.  "But  I  read  it  so  often  I  can  give  it  to  you 
almost  word  for  word." 

"Too  bad  it  was  destroyed  I"  I  said. 

"CMi,  you  can  verify  the  contents  by  the  Amster- 
^*^  Trust  Company  who  paid  me  the  money." 

"But  if  you  have  a  clear  case  what  did  you  run 
Jbr  ?"  I  jiskfd  ^mvcd- 


ii8 


Thieves'  Wit 


You  will  never  understand,"  he  said  with  a  wry 
smile.  "I  seemed  to  die  at  that  moment  when  I  saw 
that  Irma  believed  I  was  capable  of  robbing  her. 
What  did  I  care  about  my  case?" 

Hearing  that,  my  opinion  of  Sadie's  perspicacity 
went  up  marvcUously.    "Go  on,"  I  said. 

I  took  down  the  letter  from  his  dictation.  It  was 
written,  he  said,  on  expensive  note-paper,  without 
address,  crest  or  seal,  in  a  large  and  somewhat  old- 
fashioned  feminine  hand. 

"Dear  Mr.  Quarles: 

Although  you  <iave  never  heard  of  me  I  think  of 
you  as  my  dearest  friend.  I  have  followed  your  ca- 
reer  from  the  time  of  your  first  appearance  on  the 
stage.  X  am  one  of  those  unfortunates  who,  con- 
demned to  live,  arc  cut  off  from  life.  I  watch  life 
pass  trom  behind  my  iron  screen.  U  is  you  who,  all 
unconscious,  have  supplied  me  with  a  dream  to  cheat 
my  emptiness.    I  have  warmed  my  cold  hands  at 

"Now  they  tell  me  my  release  is  at  hand.  I  wish 
to  show  my  gratitude  to  you  in  the  only  way  that  is 
possible  to  me.  An  artist's  career  is  difficult  and  un- 
certain.    I  want  to  remove  a  little  of  the  uncertainty 

"I  must  avoid  giving  rise  to  silly  gossip  which 
would  grieve  my  relatives.  To  avoid  the  publicity 
ot  probate  I  am  making  secret  arrangements  before- 
nand.  An  old  friend  will  carry  out  my  wishes  for 
me  when  I  am  gone. 

J  "Pt-'^?'^*°"  ^.Y^  "*«  *  week  longer.  Upon  my 
death  this  letter  will  be  mailed  to  you.  You  will  then 
Hear  from  the  Amsterdam  Trust  Company  that  a 


Thieves'  Wit 


119 


sum  of  money  awaits  your  order.  You  will  never 
know  my  „,„e.  But  i/you  .hould  let  cvcnLbl" 
facts  become  known,  some  busybody  would  eventu- 
ri/^r  T?  ''T  ""^^  ry  """'•  ""d  unhapSy  gSsip 

ke.n  fh/t? ^*"  ^  "H  y°."  ?»  »  "»»"  Of  Vonour  to 
keep  the  whole  transaction  locked  in  your  breast." 


'It  was  signed: 


"That  is  all,"  said  Roland. 
'Your  grateful  friend.' " 

"Did  you  look  in  the  recent  obituaries  for  a  clue  ?" 
1  asked. 

"Yes,"  he  confessed.    "There  was,  ..one." 

I  y°t  "*'",''  ^'^^  y°"'  '^'"■y-    We'll  return  to  the 
letter  later." 

"At  first  I  thought  it  was  a  hoax,"  he  resumed, 
but  sure  enough,  in  two  or  three  days  I  received  a 
letter  from  the  Trust  Company  asking  me  to  call. 
I  saw  the  President.    He  said  that  the  sum  of  forty 
thousand  dollars  had  been  deposited  with  them  to 
be  turned  over  to  me  in  cash.     He  said  it  had  been 
bequeathed  to  me  by  one  who  desired  to  remain  un- 
known.    He  said  he  did  not  know  himself  who  my 
benefactor  was.     He  had  dealt  with  a  lawyer.    He 
said  that  there  was  but  one  condition  attached  to  the 
legacy,  namely  that  I  give  my  word  never  to  speak 
e    the  matter.     I  had  met  this  Mr.  Ambler  the 
president,  and  he  had  seen  me  act,  so  there  was  no 
dlfficuI^/  about  identifying  me.     I  left  his  ofBce  car- 
rying  the  money,  and  carried  it  to  my  own  bank  to 
deposit.    That  is  all  there  is  to  that." 

"Good!"  I  said.     "The  Amsterdam  Trust  Com- 
pany is  a  solid  institution,  and  the  president  a  well- 


120 


Thieves'  Wit 


They  will  itill  be  there  if  we  need 


known  man. 
them." 

"It  muitn't  get  in  the  newipaperc,"  he  uid  nerv- 
ouily. 

"Truit  me  for  that.  I'm  not  going  to  make  you 
break  your  word.  Now  about  the  bet  you  made  with 
Mfit  Hamerton." 

He  winced  at  the  lound  of  her  name.  "There's 
no  more  in  that  than  appears  on  the  surface,"  he 
said  irritably.  "I  couldn't  have  told  the  paste  from 
the  genuine.  I  wanted  to  give  her  a  box  of  gloves. 
But  she  never  claimed  them,  and  I  forgot  about  it." 

"The  cryptogram  you  have  already  explained," 
said  I.  ' 

"I  did  not  know  there  was  such  a  paper  in  mv 
pocket." 

"Hold  on,"  he  cried  suddenly,  "about  that  bet. 
I  have  just  remembered  that  I  once  had  a  talk  about 
precious  stones,  pearls,  with  a  man  in  the  company." 
"Milboume?" 

'"Sure!     How  did  you  know?" 
*'I  believe  he  took  them.     But  it's  going  to  be  a 
^b  to  prove  it." 

"It  was  just  fL  trifling  conversation,"  Roland  re- 
sumed, thinking  hard.  "I  can't  remember  exactly. 
He  marked  <he  beauty  and  oddity  of  Ir — of  Miss 
H8merton's;riecklace.  I  think  he  said  he  hoped  that 
s^^  did  not  Ask  wearing  real  pearls  on  the  stage.. 
That  may  have  been  to  find  out  if  I  knew  they  were 
artificial.  1  told  him  she  did  not  wear  the  real  ones. 
There  w^j  mpre  talk,    Hje  .seemed  tp  Joiow  abont 


Thieves'  Wit  lai 

pearli,  ,„d  I  believe  I  „ked  him  how  to  teU  the 
ml  from  the  .rtifidal.  I  never  thought  of  it  then, 
but  looking  back  I  .ee  that  it  may  have  been  that 
talk  which  gave  me  the  idea  of  making  .  bet  with 
ir-^ithher.  Oh,  I  have  been  a  fool  I" 
,    Thii  1.  all  intereiting,"  I  ,aid,  "but  it  doein't 

thing.     How  did  the  real  pearli  get  in  your  .afe?" 

Roland  .truck  hi.  forehead.    "I  have  been  every- 
body',  dupe  I"  he  groaned. 

"It'«  a  part  we  all  have  to  play  occajionally,"  I 
said  .oothingly.     "Go  ahead." 

"About  thi.  time  I  began  to  get  circular  letter* 
trom  a  firm  of  jcweUer.  called  Jone.  and  Sanford 
with  an  addre*.  on  Maiden  Lane,  where  all  the 
jeweller.  u.ed  to  be.  They  were  faciraile  letter., 
very  well  written." 

"The  kind  that  are  made  to  look  like  penonal  let- 
ters,  but  like  false  teeth,  deceive  nobody?" 

,1i7?k""^  L^^^^n^^eryfewday..  They  were 
all  to  the  effect  that  the  writer,  a.  brokers,  were  pre- 
pared to  sell  precious  .tone,  at  price,  much  under 
those  a.ked  by  the  big  jewellers.  There  was  a  lot 
of  rigmarole  about  saving  on  overhead  charge.,  in- 
terest on  valuable  stocks  and  so  on,  about  what  you 
would  expect  in  such  letter..  There  were  a  lot  of 
impo.ing.looking  reference.,  too." 

"At  fir.t  I  paid  no  attention  to  the  letters;  pre- 
aou.  stones  didn't  interest  me.  But  when  I  got  all 
that  money  I  began  to  read  them.  You  see  I— I 
wanted  to  make  Irma  a  present,  and  I  knew  she 


122 


Thieves'  Wit 


loved  pearls  better  than  anything  eUe  in  the  world." 
I  let  a  whittle  of  attoniihment  out  'i  me.  "Do 
you  mean  to  aay  you  bought  Mitt  Hamerton't  pearii 
with  the  idea  of  preter  ing  her  with  them,  to  add 
to  her  collection?" 

He  nodded  thamefacedly.  "I  didn't  know  the 
had  been  robbed." 

"How  long  had  you  had  them/" 

"Jutt  a  few  dayt." 

He  told  me  that  he  had  ailced  Mitt  Hamerton  to 
marry  him,  and  intended  the  necklace  for  a  wed- 
ding-gift if  the  contented. 

"You  were  a  downy  bird  I"  I  exclaimed. 

"Wait  tiU  I  tcU  you,"  he  taid.  "They  were  a  ilick 
pair.     You  might  have  been  taken  in  yourtelf." 

"Did  they  know  you?"  I  atked,  ttiU  full  of  amaze- 
ment. 

"Certainly.  I  paid  for  them  by  check,  certified 
check." 

"Which  they  cathed  within  half  an  hour  I" 

"Maybe.     I  never  enquired." 

"Sold  Mitt  Hamerton't  pearlt  back  to  Mitt  Ham- 
erton't  leading  man  I"  I  cried.  "My  boy,  we  have 
tomething  out  of  the  ommon  in  crooks  to  deal 
with  I" 

"They  had  a  well-furnished  tuite  on  an  upper  floor 
of  a  first-class  office  building,"  he  resumed.  "I  was 
there  three  or  four  times.  I  saw  other  customers 
coming  and  going.  Everyriiing  was  business-like 
and  all  right  looking.  Even  the  stenographer  had 
a  prim  New  England  air.     They  showed  me  all 


Thieves'  Wit 


M3 


kind,  of  precoui  .tonei.  I  bit  .t  the  pearl.  beciu.e 
I  recognued  rh.t  they  were  the  „me  kind  Irm.  h.A 
They  „ked  eight  thousand  dollan  for  them  " 

„,riT°"  '"•  *"?"'*  5'°"'  *•"'  ^'"  Hamerton'. 
necklace  wai  worth  much  more  than  that?" 

Yei.    But  I  had  been  told  her.  were  very  fine 
and  perfect.     I  .uppo.ed  the.e  to  be  not  «,  gLd  " 

tookll'hZe?""  ''"'  """'^  °"  •  ^'"'•"'  •"'' 
"Not  quite  a.  fa.t  a.  that.  The  jeweUer.  .eemed 
to  take  It  a.  a  matter  of  cour.e  that  I  would  have  the 
pearl,  exammed  by  an  expert  before  purcha.ing. 
They  ,ugge,ted  that  I  take  them  up  to  Dun.any',." 
Dunsany'sl"  I  .aid  amazed. 

n.,3r.  ^""'*  *•!"  '"""«''  '°  '""  "'»Pi"on? 
Dunsany,  „  more  than  a  jewelry  ,tore;  it',  a  na- 
tional  institution." 

I'But  you  never  took  them  there?" 

"Indeed  I  did,"  was  the  surprising  answer.  "San- 
ford  and  Jones'  clerk  went  with  me.  We  saw  Mr. 
i-reer,  the  firm's  expert  on  pearls." 

I  whistled  again.  Freer,  the  man  at  Dunsany's 
to  whom  I  had  told  my  little  fiction  of  the  fiction- 
writer  and  who  had  looked  so  queer  when  I  men- 
tioned  blue  pearls  t 

"Large  gentleman,  elegantlynlressed,  with  a  face 
like  a  boiled  dumpling?" 

•'Sure  I"  cried  Roland.     "Do  you  know  h'  t  ,  too  ?" 
Oo  on  with  your  story  I"  I  said. 
"Mr.  Freer  examined  the  pearls  and  told  me  they 


124 


Thieves'  Wit 


II  :' 


were  genuine,  and  of  good  quality.     He  valued  them 
at  about  twelve  thousand  dollars." 

"The  devil  he  did  I"  I  cried.  "This  case  is  spread- 
ing w.der  and  wider.  Freer  is  in  the  gpng,  too.  To 
think  of  their  havmg  a  picket  in  Dunsany'sl" 
How  do  you  know?" 
"Because  he  like  everybody  else  in  the  trade  had 
been  informed  that  the  only  necklace  of  blue-black 
pearls  in  the  world  had  been  stolen.     He  knew 

moreover,  that  it  was  worth "     But  here  pru' 

dence  stopped  my  tongue. 
"Worth  what?"  asked  Roland. 
.3'"'  """^''  "O'e  than  twelve  thousand." 
zled  '''"'  ^^"^^  '"  **"'  ^°'^^^"  ^^  "''^'  P»2- 

"There's  a  lot  about  this  necklace  you  don't 
know,"  I  said  smiling.  "All  in  good  time  Goon 
with  your  story." 

"Well,  that's  aU,  isn't  it?"  said  he.  "At  least 
you  faiow  the  rest.    Why  these  fellows  were  so  care- 

it;^  fif  •  ^°\'''"  '^"^  ^"^  *''"'•  ™P""t  in  gold 
inside  the  case  Jones  and  Sanford,  such  and  such 
a  number,  Maiden  Lane." 

m,S'  /  '"uT  '  ''"'  °"  "y  '»'""J»  now'"  I  "id 

"I'll  work  with  you,"  he  said. 

1 1^^  ^'t  ''"°r.'  '  '*•=  y°"  '''«<='  «^«nr  minute," 
I  «id,  smilmg  at  him.     "But  you'd  make  the  worst 
detective  m  the  world." 
"Oh,  well,  maybe  I  would,"  he  said. 


Thieves'  Wit  125 

in  hand  to  dear  yo„  I^  I,  ?k ''Z  '^'''""  "K^^* 
up  wfth"hTd'l"'  "'""■"'! ""  »«»-  He  leaped 
"Thae  affJr  i.  dt.t'n    f '/evT;'  r'°""^'^- 

c»i  mieves  in  the  pubhc  newspapers  I" 


13 

BACK  in  New  York  next  day,  I  made  haste  to 
get  to  work  on  the  half  dozen  clues  with  which 
Roland  had  furnished  me. 

I  may  say  in  passing,  though  the  visit  had  no  im- 
portant results,  that  I  called  on  Mr.  Ambler  of  the 
Amsterdam  Trust  Company.  At  first  he  declined 
to  pve  me  any  information  whatever,  but  when  I 
hinted  that  a  certain  suspicion  rested  on  Mr.  Quarles, 
he  corroborated  Roland's  story  as  far  as  he  knew  it. 
He  declined  to  give  me  the  name  of  the  attorney 
who  had  brought  the  money  to  the  bank.  "My  en- 
dorsement of  Mr.  Quarles'  story  should  be  amply 
sufficient  to  clear  him,"  he  said,  with  the  air  of  a 
bank  president. 

"Undoubtedly,"  I  said,  bowing,  and  left. 

Since  there  appeared  to  be  no  immediate  connec- 
tion between  Roland's  legacy  and  the  theft  of  the 
pearls,  I  let  that  go  for  the  present. 

I  went  to  the  address  of  the  jewellers  on  Maiden 
Lane,  but  found,  as  I  expected,  that  the  birds  had 
flown.  An  irate  renting  agent  aired  his  opinion  of 
Messrs.  Sanford  and  Jones,  but  could  give  me  no 
information  of  their  whereabouts.  They  had 
leased  the  offices  for  a  year,  and  after  five  weeks' 
tenancy,  quietly  moved  out. 


Thieves'  Wit  127 

"Don't  you  ask  references  from  prospective  ten- 
ants?    I  asked. 

"They  gave  Ai  references,"  he  mourned. 
I  took  down  the  names  of  their  references  for 
future  use.     One  of  them  was  Mr.  Freer  of  Dun- 
sany  and  Company. 

My  next  call  was  upon  Mr.  Alfred  Mount  in  his 
office  behmd  the  store  of  exquisite  fashion.  His 
greetmg,  while  polite,  was  slightly  cooler  than  of 
yore.  As  a  man  of  the  world,  I  was  expected  to 
gadier  from  it,  that  our  relations  were  now  at  an 
end.  It  warned  me  to  be  wary.  I  was  already  on 
my  pard  because  I  knew  that  he  hated  Roland, 
and  hoped  to  profit  by  his  disgrace. 

"Anything  new?"  he'asked  rasually. 

"Yes— and  no,"  I  said.     "I  am  not  satisfied  that 
^^..rf  ^^  8°^  qu'te  to  the  bottom  of  our  case." 

'Do  we  ever  get  quite  to  the  bottom  of  anything  ?" 
he  asked.  * 

"I  do  not  believe  that  Quarles  was  alone  in  this," 
1  said  as  a  feeler. 

"What  makes  you  think  so?"  he  ask(;d  quicklv. 

"Nothing  definite,"  I  said.     "Just  a  feeling." 

He  shrugged. 

"I  believe  that  expert  jewel  thieves  made  a  tool 
of  hun,"  I  suggested. 

"It  is  possible,"  said  Mount,  looking  bored. 
If  so,  It  is  much  to  the  interest  of  your  business 
to  run  them  down.    So  I  have  come  to  ask  for  your 
co-operation." 
"My  dear  sir,"  Mount  replied  with  his  mdulgent. 


128 


Thieves'  Wit 


worldly  smile,  "the  world  is  full  of  trouble.  I  do 
not  try  to  escape  my  share;  I  face  it  like  a  man,  or 
as  near  like  a  man  as  I  can.  But  I  never  go  search- 
ing for  more.  We  have  by  vour  skill  recovered  the 
jewels.  The  reasons  for  not  pursuing  the  matter  any 
further  are  to  me  obvious.  Better  let  well  enoueh 
alone."  * 

I  appeared  to  give  in  to  him.  "Maybe  you're 
right.  I  thought  I  saw  a  chance  to  earn  a  little 
glory." 

"There  will  be  plenty  of  opportunities  for  that," 
he  said  affably.     "You  can  count  on  me." 

We  parted, in  friendly  fashion. 

So  much  for  Mr.  Alfred  Mount.  At  least  he 
would  never  be  able  to  say  later  that  I  had  not  given 
him  his  chance. 

I  went  to  the  magnificent  marble  building  which 
houses  Dunsany  and  Company,  and  asked  boldly  for 
Mr.  Walter  Dunsany,  great-grandson  of  the  founder 
of  the  house,  and  its  present  head.  I  was  admitted 
to  him  without  difficulty.  I  found  him  a  jeweller 
and  a  man  of  affairs  of  a  type  very  different  from 
him  I  had  just  come  from.  Mr.  Dunsany  was  a 
simple,  unassuming  man,  direct  and  outspoken.  In 
short,  a  man's  man.  I  was  strongly  attracted  to 
him,  and  I  may  say  without  vanity  that  he  seemed 
to  like  me.  From  the  first  he  trusted  me  more  than 
I  had  any  right  to  expect. 

At  this  time  he  was  a  man  of  about  forty-fiv  years 
old,  somewhat  bald,  and  beginning  to  be  corpulent, 
but  with  a  humorous,  eager,  youthful  glance.     He 


Thieves'  Wit  129 

glanced  up  from  my  card  with  a  whimsical  smile. 
^^Confidential  mvestigator?    More  trouble,  I  sup- 

named  Freer,  an  expert  on  pearls." 
"I  had  until  a  few  days  ago." 
Ai,  exclamation  of  disappointment  escaped  me. 
What  s  the  matter  with  Freer?"  he  asked 
1  suppose  you  don't  know  where  he  is?" 
On  his  way  back  to  Holland,  I  suppose.  He  came 
rrom  there  ten  years  ago.     Why?" 

"One  more  question  first.  I  am  assuming  that 
you  know  that  a  certann  famous  necklace  of  blue 
pearls  has  been  stolen?" 

"Mount's  pearls?  Certainly.  Everybody  in  the 
trade  was  advised. 

"You  are  sure  Freer  knew?" 
^'Certainly.  It  was  h's  business  first." 
_  Yet  a  week  or  so  ago,  that  necklace  was  brought 
into  your  store  by  a  man  who  was  considering  the 
purchase  of  it.  He  submitted  it  to  Freer.  Freer 
pronounced  the  stones  genuine,  and  said  that  the 
necklace  was  worth  about  twelve  thousand  " 

Mr.  Dunsany  jumped  up  and  paced  the  room 
agitatedly.  "Freerl"  he  exclaimed.  "Impossible! 
lou  are  sure  of  your  facts  I" 

I  described  the  operations  of  Messrs.  Sanford 
and  Jones. 

^    "Not  impossible,  I  suppose,"  he  said  more  quietly 

Ihis  sort  of  thing  has  happened  to  me  before.     I 

doubt  if  there  was  ever  a  time  when  I  was  not  har- 


130 


Thieves'  Wit 


boring  some  thief  or  another.  They  never  steal 
from  me,  you  understand.  They  are  the  pickets, 
the  outposts,  who  watch  where  the  jewels  go,  and 
report  to  Headquarters.  But  Freer!  He  had  been 
with  me  ten  years.  He  had  an  instinct  for  pearls  I" 
"Headquarters?"  I  said  eagerly.  "Then  you 
agree  with  me  that  there  is  an  organised  gang  at 
work?" 

"That's  no  secret,"  he  said.  "Every  jeweller 
knows  that  there  is  a  kind  of  corporation  of  jewel 
thieves.  It  is  probably  ten  years  old,  and  better 
organised  and  administered  than  our  own  associa- 
tion." 

"Why  don't  you  break  it  up?" 

"Break  it  up  I"  he  echoed.     "It  is  my  dearest  am- 
bition 1    There  has  never  been  a  meeting  of  our  as- 
sociation  but  what  I  have  urged  with  all  my  elo- 
quence that  we  get  together  and  break  up  the  thief 
trust.     They  will  not  support  me.     Everybody  sus- 
pects that  he  has  spies  in  his  establishment,  perhaps 
like  Freer  in  a  responsible  position.    The  crooks 
seem  to  have  us  where  they  want  us.     They  have 
never  robbed  us,  you  see.     There  is  a  sort  of  un- 
written agreement,  you  leave  us  alone  and  we'll  leave 
you.     The  other  men  in  the  association  say:     'If 
our  customers  are  careless  with  their  jewels,  we  are 
not  responsible."     But  I  say  we  are  I     These  crooks 
have  put  us  in  a  position  where,  if  we  do  not  go 
after  them,  we  may  be  said  to  be  in  league  with 
them." 


Thieves'  Wit  131 

"Mr  Mount  is  a  member  of  the  association,  I 
suppose  r 

"Mount?  Oh  yes,  he's  the  president.  To  give 
Mount  credit  I  must  say  that  he  has  always  suoported 
m^  m  this  matter,  though  not  so  warmly  as  1  would 
haveliked.     But  I  am  considered  a  fanatic." 

Why  don't  you  and  he  do  it  together?"  I  asked. 

Asso^ttr-  '°  '"'°  "  "''°"*  *''  '""^"^  °^  »'>» 

"Why  don't  you  go  it  alone?"  I  said.  "You 
are  powerful." 

He  glanced  at  me  sharply.  "I  will  when  I  see 
my  way,  he  said.  "Such  police  officers  and  de- 
tectives  as  have  happened  to  come  under  my  ob- 

It7-T  w?  "°^"""«d  »°  '"<=  the  right  men  for 
the  job.     When  I  find  my  man " 

inh'^f  ^°Y°"'t'  '"*'  "  ""  W''""'  for  the 
job  ?    I  asked  quietly. 

He  studied  me  hard.  "I  should  be  difficult  to 
satisfy,"  he  said. 

"First  of  all  as  to  references,"  I  said.  There 
were  some  good  men  who  backed  me.  I  gave  him 
their  names. 

''How  about  Mount?"  he  asked. 

"I  have  already  applied  to  him  for  the  job."  I 
said  frankly,  "and  was  turned  down.  He  is  satis- 
fied with  the  recovery  of  the  pearls.  As  long  as  he 
has  refused  to  go  in,  I  think  it  would  be  better  not 
to  let  him  know  about  our  plans.  That,  however, 
IS  up  to  you. 


132 


Thieves*  Wit 


"I  shall  not  let  him  know,"  Mr.  Dunsany  said 
briefly. 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  I  succeeded  in  satis- 
fying Mr.  Dunsany  of  my  fitness  to  undertake  the 
matter  in  hand.  We  concluded  a  defensive  and  of- 
fensive alliance.  He  let  me  understand  that  expense 
was  to  be  no  object.  I  saw  him  every  day.  We  met 
at  his  club,  which  was  as  safe  a  place  as  we  could 
find. 

I  gave  him  my  full  confidence,  of  course.  With 
Roland's  consent  I  told  him  everything  that  had  oc- 
curred up  to  that  time.  Mr.  Dunsany  for  his  part 
had  a  whole  file  of  evidence  that  he  had  quietly 
collected.  He  turned  it  over  to  me.  It  was  inter- 
esting, and  in  the  end  valuable,  but  it  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  case  of  the  blue  pearls. 

We  laid  our  plans  with  infinite  care.  There  was 
no  hurry  now,  and  every  move  was  planned  in  ad- 
vance. Absolute  secrecy  was  imperative.  Mr. 
Dunsany  and  I  agreed  not  to  take  a  soul  on  earth 
into  our  confidence. 

It  was  necessary  to  hire  a  small  army  of  opera- 
tives. I  did  not  figure  in  this.  I  had  Peter 
Keenan,  an  old  friend  of  mine,  who  was  not  known 
generally  among  my  friends,  act  for  me.  Peter  was 
a  faithful,  conscientious  soul,  not  at  all  brilliant.  He 
hired  a  suite  of  offices  on  Forty-second  street  and 
set  up  the  "International  Detective  Agency."  Peter 
was  the  nominal  head,  and  Sadie  the  real  directress 
of  this  establishment.     Here  the  operatives  were 


Thieves'  Wit 


133 


hired  and  sent  on  their  errands.    Each  did  his  lit- 
tle task  knowing  nothing  of  the  general  plan. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  B.  Enderby  was  to  be  found  all 
day  in  his  office  on  Fortieth  street  with  his  feet  on 
the  desk,  chinning  with  his  young  friends  or  com- 
posing a  new  play.  You  see  the  second  cryptogram 
led  me  to  suspect  that  they  were  aware  of  my  iden- 
tity, and  in  case  I  were  watched,  as  I  surely  would 
be,  I  desired  to  give  the  impression  that  I  had 
dropped  all  activities  in  connection  with  jewels  or 
jewel  thieves.  I  communicated  with  Sadie  by  let- 
ter. Uncle  Sam  is  at  once  the  mo-,;  public  and  the 
safest  messenger.  For  emergencies  we  arranged  a 
system  of  telephone  calls. 

It  would  be  a  tedious  task  to  set  down  all  the  rou- 
tme  work  of  the  agency.  There  were  mistakes,  dis- 
appomtments  and  blind  trails  without  number.  To 
begin  with,  Sadie  was  ordered  to  trace  Freer,  the 
pearl  agent,  also  Sanford  and  Jones,  the  bogus  jew- 
ellers,  and  any  of  their  employees.  All  this  entailed 
great  kbour,  and  it  was  absolutely  barren  of  re- 
suit.  These  people  seemed  to  have  vanished  into 
thm  air.  In  the  case  of  Kenton  Milbourne  she  was 
more  successful.     She  wrote: 

"In  my  character  of  Miss  Covington  the  actress, 
I  called  on  several  of  the  women  of  Miss  Hamer- 
ton's  company  who  gave  me  their  addresses  when 
we  disbanded.  From  their  gossip  I  learned  with- 
out  having  to  ask  questions,  that  Kenton  Milbourne 
has  not  disappeared.  They  have  all  met  him  on 
Broadway.     He  is  apparently  living  the  ordinary 


134 


Thieves'  Wit 


life  of  an  actor  out  of  a  job,  going  around  to  the 
different  agencies  to  list  hi*  name,  etc  Hi»  addreu 
II  No.  —  Weit  49th  itreet. 

xj.!  '*"''  ■"°"««*  *'>'"«  °f  ou'  •»«»«  men  to  keep 
Milbourne  under  lurveillance.  The  first,  D.  B., 
who  hai  been  an  actor,  is  working  independently 
of  the  other  two.  He  has  engaged  a  room  in  the 
same  house  and  will  make  friends  with  M.  The 
other  two  operatives,  A.  N.  and  S.  C,  are  to  trail 
him  turn  and  turn  about." 

Thus  the  ground  was  laid  out.     Making  my  re- 
port in  turn  to  Mr.  Dunsany,  I  said:    "It's  all  very 
well  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  we  must  do  some  original 
work.     Tracking  the  theft  of  Miss  Hamerton's 
pearls  ir.  fillowing  a  cold  trail.     Our  work  is  de- 
stroyed by  the  fact  that  the  jewels  have  been  recov 
ered.     We  must  branch  out." 
"What  do  you  propose?"  said  he. 
"Let  us  lay  a  tempting  bait  for  a  new  robbery, 
and  catch  them  red-handed." 
"Go  ahead  I" 

"Arc  you  prepared  to  risk  something  choice  in 
diamonds  or  pearls?" 

"Anything  I  have  in  stock." 

"Very  well.  First,  however,  we've  got  to  get  a 
man  accepted  into  the  inmost  circle  of  the  thief 
trust." 


generally  conspicuous  for  the«  qudWeT  anrwhT 
they  are  rich  into  the  bargain-Jhv  t^K,  " 

what  d,eyVe  got  is  usuallf  L;  hthe.t  ,T„f  %'? 
Mr   Dunsany  insisted  on  playing  Sfole^f  ^ 
ger  in  our  projected  drama      H.  1        i      ^  '^""^ 

135 


136 


Thieves'  Wit 


in  due  coune  at  the  foot  of  Manhattan  Island,  he 
gazed  at  the  towering  buildings  with  a  wondering 
eye,  and  allowed  himself  to  be  guided  to  an  hun.'^le 
hotel  in  the  neighbourhood. 

I  wai  not  there  to  meet  him  for  a  very  good  rea- 
son, but  later  in  the  day  I  received  a  note  appris- 
ing me  of  his  arrival.  Two  days  later  I  had  an- 
other telling  me  that  having  presented  letters  of 
recommendation,  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  gem- 
setting  shops  of  Dunsany  and  Co.  I  cannot  do  bet- 
ter than  quote  from  his  own  reports.  Far  from 
being  the  usual  cut  and  dried  affairs,  they  were  little 
human  documents  of  humorous  observation. 

Report  of  J.  M.    #  a 

Wednesday,  June  jrrf. 
The  morning  after  I  landed,  according  to  our 
program,  I  went  to  Dunsany's  to  apply  for  a  job. 
I  wonder  if  any  merchant  before  me  ever  had  the 
experience  of  besieging  the  doors  of  his  own  shop  in 
a  like  humble  capacity.  Probably  not.  I  enjoyed 
the  experience.  As  soon  as  I  opened  the  door  I 
began  to  learn  things  about  my  own  place.  I  always 
thought  that  my  democratic  ideas  encouraged  my  em- 
ployees to  treat  me  exactly  like  one  of  themselves, 
but  I  found  that  they  did  not — quite.  Walking 
through  the  aisles  I  perceived  a  new  atmosphere,  a 
casualness,  an  indifference  in  the  salesmen  which 
shocked  me  at  first,  then  made  me  want  to  laugh. 
The  joke  was  on  me  I 


Thieves'  Wit  137 

My  letter  of  recommendation,  which  I  had  writ- 
ten  myself  naturally,  gained  me  the  entree  to  the 
prcent  head  of  the  firm.  i.e..  my  ,on  Edward  I 
approached  hi,  office  with  .ome  nervousneT  Here 
would  be  the  first  grand  te,t  of  my  di.gui.e  Would 
ieVa?/r^'"  '''  ^''^"^  A"^  'f  h^  did.  would 
AnJ  if  V^!"  "°'  '°  r'  ""'  »''"y  '''^°«  other.  ? 

t^ct  n  i    :i"°''  ''°."'''  ^  •"  ""«  to  keep  my  own 
face  m  the  ludicrous  aituation? 

I  should  say  that  in  the  matter  of  disguise  I  have 

followed  your  instructions  carefully.     The  wi^  or 

toupee  or  transformation  with  which  you  furnifhed 

njc.  complete  y  change,  my  appearance.         W 

a.  you  showed  me  how  to  do.  I  am  letting  my  own 
ha.r  grow  beneath  and  will  .oon  be  able  to  UaT^ 
off  the  false,  wh.ch  will  be  a  relief  as  it  1,  both  To! 
and  .ticky.  I„  addition  it  occurred  to  me  to  leave 
aside  certam  dental  work  which  co.t  me  a  lollf 

My  clothe.  I  bought  ready-made  in  a  London 
emponum.  Need  I  say  more?  The  hat  i,  a  won- 
der a  sort  of  decrepit  music-master  affair  of  black 
sJn  M  T  '"  ""/°"''J«='"y  tWrd  or  fourth  hand-!^r 

l:^lLs:^:r''''''  ^-^-toha^ri; 

Eddie  did  not  recognise  me.     He  favoured  me 

a  little,  but  thi.  was  only  natural  caution  in  engag- 
mg  an  unknown  man.     In  our  business  we  havfto 


138 


Thieves'  Wit 


be  careful.  I  was  well-pleased  with  Eddie's  man- 
ner, succinct  and  business-like  without  a  trace  of  arro- 
gance. Much  better  than  my  own  manner,  I  dare  say. 

Eddie  was  plainly  annoyed  by  the  situation,  nor 
could  I  blame  him.  It  was,  of  course,  very  irregu* 
lar.  In  effect  we  were  breaking  the  alien  labour  law, 
beside  opening  up  the  prospect  of  labour  troubles 
in  our  own  shop.  I  knew  exactly  what  was  passing 
m  the  boy's  mind,  and  I  was  longing  to  reassure  him. 
Instead  I  had  to  make  believe  to  be  slightly  over- 
awed in  the  presence  of  my  little  boy  I 

He  had  no  choicp  in  the  matter,  because  I  had  vir- 
tually instructed  him  to  employ  this  Mattingly.  In 
addition  to  the  letter  of  recommendation  I  had  writ- 
ten him  from  London  saying  that  I  was  sending  such 
a  man,  an  experienced  jewel-setter,  I  had  said,  and 
had  described  Mattingly's  appearance,  so  that  he  had 
no  need  to  ask  me  to  identify  myself. 

Finally  after  asking  a  number  of  questions,  to  all 
of  which  I  had  the  answers  pat,  Eddie  engaged  me. 
I  followed  him  to  an  upper  floor,  hard  put  to  it  to 
keep  from  grinning  at  the  idea  of  my  boy  showing 
me  the  way  around  the  place.  Fortunately  the  spec- 
tacles I  wear  help  me  to  preserve  an  owl-like  gravity. 

He  took  me  to  Ashley,  the  foreman  of  the  gem- 
setting  department.  Ashley  has  been  with  us  forty 
years.  He  is  a  surly,  lovable  old  crab.  It  was  un- 
der Ashley  that  I  got  my  training  in  handicraft 
twenty-five  years  ago.  Ashley  regarded  me  with 
no  favourable  eye,  but  bowed  to  the  mandate  of  the 
head  of  the  firm,  of  course.     He  gave  me  a  boy's 


Thieves'  Wit  139 

woric  cleaning  old  settings,  and  kept  a  shan,  watch 

t^a? Im'*  "^*i""  «°"^  '^^^  ™""^"  be  Je  I  found 
Uo^fm  ne-r  spoken  .//  of  hi,  mind  to  me 

tot" t    •:•  son"   m"ot'?  '^.^  '''"  ^^-"P-^' 
as  a  meek    al^en"  J  u  '"'"'^'^'  ""qucrading 

benefit  of  it  ''°''™'"'  "'"^  ""'-'^  the  fuU 

««.  >■«  I  fed .  .^-  J.'tSd  >h™  ^"'ir''- 

rJn.!.*!     V     t    .      '°  '""^e  that  his  crazy  ideas  ar- 


140 


Thieves'  Wj> 


generally  comes  off  second  best  in  their  verbal  en- 
counters. 

During  one  of  their  arguments  the  first  day,  I  was 
much  amused,  and  a  little  alarmed,  when  the  talk 
turned  on  me. 

"You  with  your  socialist  talk  I"  cried  Ashley  to 
Mullen  scornfully.  "A  man  would  think  every  boss 
was  a  homed  devil!  There's  our  old  man  now, 
what's  the  matter  widi  him?" 

"I  don't  know  him,"  said  Mullen  with  a  leer. 
"We  ain't  on  visiting  terms." 

"He  talks  to 'us,  simple  and  friendly,  just  like 
one  of  ourselves,"  said  Ashley. 

"Sure  I"  cried  Mullen.  "It  don't  cost  him  nothin'  1 
I  ain't  seen  him  give  up  nothin'  but  talk,  though. 
That's  what  he  keeps  you  quiet  with,  a  little  soft  talk 
like  strokin'  the  dogl" 

"He  don't  set  up  to  be  no  more  than  a  man  like 
myself  I"  said  my  defender. 

"Sure,  and  he  is  no  more  I"  cried  the  other.  "I've 
got  as  good  an  appetite  for  my  meals  as  him,  and  my 
kids  is  as  strong  and  handsome  as  his.  But  there 
he  is  sailing  across  the  ocean  in  a  soot  de  luxe,  and 
here  am  I  sweating  at  his  bench." 

"Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?"  asked 
Ashley,  whereat  all  the  men  on  his  side  crowed. 

"Do  ?"  cried  Mullen.  "I'm  goin'  to  give  him  fair 
value  for  his  wages,  that's  what  I'm  goin'  to  do.  But 
I  don't  have  to  lick  the  hand  that  pats  mel" 

"A  man  can  do  what  he  likes  with  his  own,  I 
guess,"  said  Ashley. 


Thieves'  Wit 


141 

"hIT^v  ^  °'"'J'l  ""  *'  surprising  answer. 
He  didn't  earn  ,t.  did  he?    It  was  the  suTplu,  tha 

"His  grand-dad  started  as  a  workman  like  our- 
"^ves  ••  sa.d  Ashley.  "Only  he  was  the  best  woX 
man,  so  he  went  ahead." 

"I  doubt  that,"  said  Mullen  coolly.    "  'Tain't  the 

GranIS  7''"  *."  ''''  '*''"''•  "^  *»'»  ^ha^Jest 
GrandKlad  was  sharp  enough  to  get  ahead  of  the 
odier  workman.  AH  right,  .  say.  Let  him  en  oy 
wha  he  can  get.  But  does  that  give  his  family  he 
nrht  to  run  us  to  the  end  of  time  ?" 

lev  a'^^Sn*  "llJT  ^°'"^  '°  ^°  "'"'"*  '*?"  "''^d  Ash- 
\a  u  ^'*  ""PPorters  laughed. 

Mullen  turned  to  me  unexpectedly.     "What  have 

Zklo  7  tT>'  ""'"''    Y-  '""^  -hat  they 
Jour  ideas  »  ^  ^"^  ""°''  '^'  ""^"     ^'^  "' 

can'l  ttjir '"'"'  "^^  '"'"'"  ^  "•'^  ^""y-    "H°w 
•'I  don't   mean   him,"   said   Mullen   scornfully. 

andVa;2S7  '"^  '^  '■"^'  '"^"-     '  '"""  ^''^^ '""- 
I  shook  my  head. 

h ."^V  '^7,  '""/  *'''^'"  °^"  tl'«-=  m  like  they  do 
here,  I  see,"  said  Mullen,  turning  away 

thilThuf  „'l^'  *"  ^"  *'''*  ^•'"'"^  '^'•^"  !"««*  °»t  of 

MTanil^l  T""'" '"  '°'"'"°"  ^"'"^  I  "">»*  "«• 

fj,;.  h     T    J     *T°'*'  y°"  "«  wondering  what  all 

this  has  to  do  with  our  case.     Have  patience  with 


142 


Thieves'  Wit 


i  I 

li 
M 


mc.  I  am  so  absolutely  alone  in  my  new  life,  I  must 
have  somebody  to  air  my  thoughts  to.  The  eve- 
nings are  the  hardest  to  put  in.  The  club  calls  me 
with  a  siren  voice.  Eddie's  wife  is  away,  too,  and 
I  *hink  of  the  boy  dining  alone.  I  wish  we  had 
taken  him  into  our  confidence,  but  I  suppose  it  was 
wiser  not  to. 

I  have  changed  my  boarding-place.  Couldn't 
stand  the  fare  at  Mrs.  McMahon's.  I  am  now  at 
a  French  place  No.  —  West  29th  street.  It  is 
humble  enoi|gh  to  suit  my  altered  station  in  life,  but 
the  cooking  being  French  is  not  impossible.  I  have 
mitigated  my  lot  by  buying  a  jug  of  excellent  Bor- 
deaux at  Bardin's,  which  I  have  with  my  dinner 
without  exciting  suspicion.  I  am  aiming  to  get  the 
name  of  a  "character"  which  will  enable  me  to  do 
pretty  much  as  I  please. 

The  only  break  I  have  made  so  far  was  upon  the 
avenue  yesterday.  I  was  on  my  way  home  from 
work  and  my  wits  were  wool-gatuering.  I  was 
dreaming,  I  suppose,  of  where  I  would  like  to  go 
for  dinner.  Along  came  Warner  Macklin,  an  ele- 
gant old  dandy  and  a  club  acquaintance  of  mine. 
Without  thinking,  I  nodded  to  him  as  I  would  ordi- 
narily. You  should  have  seen  his  affronted  stare. 
The  old  snob  1  Anyhow  it  testifies  to  the  efficacy  of 
my  disguise. 

If  you  would  like  to  look  me  over  I  will  be  walk- 
ing up  and  down  in  front  of  the  dairy  lunch  on 
Thirty-fourth  street  East  of  Sixth  avenue  at  Twelve- 
thirty  to-morrow,  Thursday,  J.  M. 


Thieves'  Wit 
Report  op  J.  M.    #4 


143 


I  am  DremfJ  uu  T  ''''•^  ^''"  ^"""^n  fellow  I 
1  am  pretty  well  shaken  into  my  job  by  now     The 

in  the  Vor  ff  "rhoorth  °'  ^'°"^  °'  ""*'«'°" 

exciting  than  this  ahead'  "  "'"""'•'"«  ™°« 

I  have  neither  seen  nor  heard  anvfl,:„» 
m  any  of  my  fellow^mployees     T^    uT^'^r' 
to  swear  thev  are  ,11 T'*''^"^     ^  '^"uW  be  willing 

others  too  Sat  rm„!i  ''"T"  ^'^'  '°^^  ^e! 
my  felowiJeatreT  1  v""1^ *°  '''"'"^ *^«= ''"»  «^ 

ToKiay^^r?;:;  Vtti;  hTuVfnr  r'^- 

account  of  vacations.  I  got  a  ste^J"  '\'  ,*^P  °" 
me  at  the  bench  where  I  Jl  ^  ^^  '^'''''y  P"* 
settings  on  ortrJoT^S  "tWsT"'  '7"  ^^^ 
we  need  to  carrv  out  o„  "?  J  •  '  "'"'^'y  ''^^ 

thanhe.opeS«l?;  t";;S  r^I^;^^^^^^ 

resulrtr  "'"  '''""'  '""'^  *''"«=  ^  P"«  »  «rst<lass 

J.  M. 


15 

AT  this  stage  I  cannot  better  carry  my  story  for- 
ward than  by  continuing  to  quote  from  the  re- 
ports of  different  operatives.  To  me  these  arc  fasci- 
nating documents.  Their  sober  matter-of-factness 
is  more  thrilling  than  the  most  exciting  yam.  With 
a  wealth  of  seemingly  irrelevant  detail  they  build  up 
a  picture  more  convincing  than  any  except  those  of  a 
master  of  fiction.  One  has  to  be  in  the  secret,  of 
course.  The  operatives  themselves  are  not  sup- 
posed to  know  what  it  is  all  about,  though  they  may 
guess  a  little.  But  to  be  in  the  secret  of  a  case  and 
to  read  the  reports  bearing  on  it  from  a  hundred 
angles,  ^ves  one  a  strange  sense  of  power. 


Report  of  D.  B. 


According  to  my  instructions  I  applied  for  board 
at  number  —  West  Forty-Nindi  street,  Mrs. 
Atwood,  landlady.  I  gave  my  name  as  Winston 
Damall,  and  made  out  I  was  a  character  actor  just 
in  from  the  road.  I  engaged  the  rear  hall  room  top 
floor.  The  place  is  an  ordinary  actor's  house,  con- 
siderably run  down.  The  landlady  has  only  lately 
bought  the  business  from  another  woman,  so  it  hasn't 
M4 


Thieves'  Wit 


145 


got  the  familiar  friendly  air  of  .  long^stablished 
place. 

At  the  supper  table  I  recognised  my  man  Kenton 
Milbournc  from  the  description  furnished.  He's 
an  unusual  looking  man— unusually  homely  He 
doesn't  keep  to  himself  at  all,  like  a  fellow  with 
something  on  his  mind.  He  seems  to  be  on  good 
enough  terms  with  the  other  boarders,  but  they  keep 
out  of  his  way  because  he's  such  a  tiresome  talker. 
There  s  one  or  two  old  feV  *8  that  go  around  with 
him.  They  sit  in  the  parlour  and  talk  by  the  hour 
about  what  dandy  actors  they  are. 

Milbourne  has  the  large  front  room  on  the  third 
floor.  As  luck  would  have  it,  the  hall  room  adjoin- 
ing  was  vacant,  and  there  is  only  a  thin  board  parti- 
tion  between,  because  the  hall-room  was  originaUy 
an  alcove.  But  I  judged  this  was  too  much  of  a 
good  thing.  I  was  afraid  of  taking  the  hall  room 
for  fear  of  putting  M.  wise.  Maybe  later,  when 
we  re  friends  I  can  move. 

tJ  "?'"?..'".  "''  "'•'  *°  P'*  "P  Milbourne. 
Thought  Id  better  wait  awhile  and  give  him  a 
chance  to  make  up  to  me.  Meanwhile  I  jollied  the 
landlady.  She  was  a  talker  like  all  of  them.  Mil- 
bourne, it  seems,  is  her  pet.  She  holds  him  up  as  a 
model  for  the  other  boarders  because  he  paid  her 
four  weeks  board  in  advance  when  her  rent  feU  due. 
This  seems  to  indicate  he  means  to  stay  a  while. 

AU  the  boarders  look  up  to  Milbourne  with  a 
kind  of  respect  because  he's  just  closed  his  season 


146 


Thieves'  Wit 


with  a  first-claw  company,  while  the  reit  are  mostly 
with  repertoire  companies,  and  cheap  road  shows. 

The  second  night  I  was  there,  Milbourne  braced 
me  m  the  parlour.  Looking  for  a  new  listener,  I 
guess.  He  started  in  to  tell  me  what  a  hit  he  made 
with  the  I  ma  Hamerton  production.  If  this  man  is 
a  crook  he's  the  smoothest  article  I  ever  ran  up 
against.  Because  he  isn't  smooth  at  all.  He  talks 
all  the  time  about  himself  as  simple  as  a  child,  but 
at  that  he  don't  tell  you  much.  He's  got  a  dull  eye 
which  don't  seem  to  take  in  nothing,  and  he  talks  in 
a  slow,  monotonous  way  and  says  a  thing  over  and 
over  until  you're  doped. 

A  couple  of  nights  later  some  of  the  younger 
boarders  were  having  a  bit  of  a  rough  house  in  the 
parlour  and  M.  asked  me  up  to  his  room  where  we 
could  talk  in  peace.  His  room  was  bare  like.  He 
don't  show  any  photographs  or  pictures  or  gim- 
cracks.  Seems  he  never  even  unpacks  his  trunk.  It 
was  a  big  trunk  even  for  an  actor,  and  packed  neat 
and  full  as  a  honeycomb.  Whenever  he  wants  a 
little  thing  he  unlocks  it,  takes  out  what  he's  after, 
and  locks  it  again,  even  though  he's  right  in  the 
room.  The  key  is  on  a  chain  fastened  to  his  waist- 
band. 

His  talk  was  mostly  about  the  Irma  Hamerton 
company.  He  told  me  what  he  says  is  the  rights  of 
the  story  about  her  sickness,  and  the  unexpected 
closing  in  the  middle  of  good  business.  She  was  in 
love  with  her  leading  man,  Roland  Quarles,  accord- 


Thieves'  Wit 


147 


lb*ou?Qi,c.^*'"^  '^^  *°°  '*'  '°'  "^  *°  "y 

I  didn't  take  much  itock  in  all  this.    It  is  the  wav 

a_poor  actor  likes  to  talk  about  one  who  rises  above 

said''th",l^"!''"  l*"^  ^'"  """"'"oni  Milbourne 
said  that  just  a,  she  was  going  to  marry  him  she 
found  out  that  he  had  a  wife  already.  Without  ex! 
artly  saymg  so  he  let  on  that  it  was  he,  Milbourne. 
who  had  put  her  wise  to  the  young  man.  That' 
the  way  they  go  on.  She  had  hysterics,  he  said,  and 
broke  up  the  show.  As  proof  of  his  story,  he  said 
that  Quarles  had  disappeared  and  nobody  knew 
where  he  was,  not  even  his  old  servant. 

As  I  talk  more  with  Milbourne  I  see  that  he  isn't 
so  simple  as  he  likes  to  make  out.  He  has  a  way 
of  sandwiching  m  little  questions  in  his  dull  talk,  that 

Inri'V/'"''  ''^"*'r  "°»-<=«™ning  i.;  the 
end.     He  didn't  get  anything  on  me  though.     My 

rl7hT    "  •);  ^t'  '"  •*  y"-     ^  ^'"^^  »"  id«  that 
he  has      '""'"'"""y  •"""  experience  acting  than 

Sometimes  he  lets  slip  a  clever  remark  that  don't 
fit  in  with  his  character  of  a  bonehead  at  all.  For 
instance,  we  were  talking  about  the  Chatfield  case 
that  aU  the  papers  are  full  of  now,  and  Milbourne 
Says  I 

•My  optritive  went  into  considerable  detail  here  «•  to  Mil 
bourne-,  opinion  of  Rol.nd.    Mo.t  of  it  I  h.„  d.  eteA  ^n^  t'     ' 
w..  no  more  thin  me.ningle.,  .bu.e. 

B.  E. 


148 


Thicvca'  Wit 


Put  t  police  helmet  on  any  man,  and  ri^t  away 
hit  brain  teems  to  take  the  shape  of  it.  Cops  think 
at  much  alike  at  intectt.  Let  a  crook  once  get  on 
to  their  way  of  thinking,  and  he  can  play  with  them 
like  a  ball  on  a  rubber  ttring." 

He  let  this  out  by  accident.  Afterwardt  he  looked 
at  me  tharp  to  tee  if  I  had  taken  anything  amitt.  I 
never  let  on. 

I  have  been  in  thit  house  a  week  now,  and  Mil- 
bourne  and  I  are  supposed  to  be  quite  intimate 
friends.     Last  night  on  my  way  up  stairs  I  saw  a 
light  under  his  door,  so  I  knocked.     His  door  is 
always  locked.    He  wasn't  any  too  glad  to  see  me, 
but  he  couldn't  very  weU  keep  me  out,  because  he 
hadn't  started  to  undress  yet.     He  was  having  a 
little  supper:  a  bottle  of  a  syrupy  kind  of  wine  and 
biscuits  with  some  blackish  stuS  he  said  was  caviare. 
I  didn't  take  any.     I  marked  the  labels,  and  to^lay 
I  went  into  a  swell  store  and  inquired  the  prices. 
The  wine  was  Imperial  Tokay.     It  is  $2.50  the 
small  bottle.    The  caviare  was  $1.50  for  a  little 
pot.     I  give  this  for  what  it's  worth.    Seems  funny 
if  a  man  has  a  taste  for  such  swell  eats  he  should  put 
up  at  a  joint  like  Mrs.  Atwood's. 

D.B. 

Report  of  A.  N. 

Operative  S.C.  and  I  were  instructed  to  trail  a 
certain  K.  Milboume,  supposed  to  be  an  actor,  and 
report  on  his  habits  and  his  associates.     We  were 


Thieves'  Wit  jj^ 

furnUhed  with  hi.  de.cription,  .„d  «„t  to  w.tch 

Doardi.  Th,.  houte  ii  .  few  doori  from  Eiirhth 
Avenue.  We  Icept  w.tch  from  oufide  .  c^„ 
.aloon  over  the  way.     We  turned  up  our  coUan  and 

A?xoo;Vm   ''^  "«"'»'  ~-"  loaf:?."""' 
th   I       M^  A.M.  our  man  came  out  and  walked  ud 

•jeet.     He  turned  down  Broadway  with  the  crowd 

tjlT:A-^1  °''"  ""PP''^  '■"  '~"t  of  "ore  win" 

^edinat  .^orirdw^-jtUKS^  "j 

eked  up  aj.d  went  after  him      Went  up  i„  the!am 

eieyator.     He  gave  everybody  m  the  car  .  .K,«, 

look.     Got  out  at  the  ei^hth^Boor    a„5  wentl^S 

W-    "•"'"'••    "^"-    Mcndo„:    SS 

I  went  back  down-stair,  to  wait.     Thi,  building 

nth  "trtr?.  Z  t't'Broir  "J  ^'^i 
I  watched  the  .ide  .treet  "^''''  ^°°''  ""** 

door     He  walked  around  into  Broadway,  and  S^C 

T^t  r  "I  '"'f     "'  '^''^  "  down'  a. lar  „ 

Sit  """'"'  """*  '^"  ^""'''J  «™"nd  and  went 
back  to  Forty-second.  without  leaving  Broadway  ^r 
stopping  anywhere.    Turned  We.t  on  ForJ..econd 
and  went  mto  the  office  of  the  D.  and  E^BoSt 
agency  m  the  -orre.t  Theatre.    Stayed  twenty  fivf 


150 


Thieves'  Wit 


minutes.  Came  out  and  went  down  Wett  lide  of 
Broadway.  At  Thirty-ninth  atreet  met  an  actor 
and  stood  with  him  twenty  minutes  talking  loud,  and 
looking  around  them  the  way  they  do,  to  see  if  any- 
body is  noticing.  The  talk  was  all  theatrical  gossip 
which  I  was  instructed  net  to  report. 

Looked  at  his  watch  and  went  on  down  to  the 
36th-37th  street  block,  where  he  walked  up  and 
down  about  seven  times,  stopping  at  each  end  to 
look  in  the  same  store  window,  and  then  coming 
back.  We  watched  from  a  music  store  where  we 
were  making  out  td  listen  to  the  piano-player. 

At  12 150  he  met  a  man  as  if  by  surprise.  They 
greeted  each  other  so  loud  everybody  rubbered. 
But  it  was  all  a  stall.  Right  away  they  came  down 
to  business  and  talked  low  and  serious  to  each  other. 
My  partner  and  I  brushed  against  them,  but  we 
couldn't  hear  much.  Too  much  noise  in  the  street. 
I  heard  Milbourne  say:  "The  grub  is  rotten  I 

More  than  flesh  and  blood " 

His  friend  replied:  "My  dear  fellow,  it's  worth  it, 
isn't  it?    Be  reasonable.     You're  safe.     We're  all 

safe " 

The  two  of  them  turned  North  walking  arm  in 
arm,  still  talking  low.  At  the  Forty-ninth  street 
comer  they  parted.  Milbourne  turned  West,  on 
his  way  home  presumably,  and  his  friend  continued 
North.  S.  C.  went  with  M.  and  I  took  after  the 
stranger. 

He  was  a  big  fat  man,  but  energetic.  He  looked 
like  a  theatrical  manager  or  a  promoter.    He  wore 


Thieves'  Wit 


151 

p.v.„„.,»<,, .. ,  .Vd  .,.•■?*!;'- ^^ 

way.     it  w,i  a  regular  fat  man's  walk,  the  knee. 
10.  weight  about  220:  dark  brown  hair  and  eve. 

the^*Iwl"^•  •'"'  ^'  "°""^  °''"  «"<!  w«t  down 

the  .ubway  stair  .pry  a.  a  kid.    Got  on  the  Rnt 

tram :  I  took  a  .eat  in  the  adjoinine  car     AtZ  „/  ! 

.tation    Columbu.  Circle.  LlXiy  ^J^^^^ 

and  left  the  tram.     But  I  wa.  with  him     He  .tayed 

on  the  station  platform.     For  a  little  while  the  4o 

loo"    men  X  "•""    ^'  ^^^  "^  •  «-5  ^'"d 

}  :«  in'Tel^ft^aTaUr  "™^  "'°"^  ''  *°°^  '*• 

At  Sevcnty-Second  .treet  he  got  out  anin      This 

Zr!  ofTh"  ''k ''•    '  ""^''^'^  ^''""  ''^Wnd  the  glas 
doors  of  the  .ubway  .tation.     I  thought  he  wa.  Jait 

?a.s^';rr  t  H  5"'  'I'''"''  ''^  -"^^  '  "  "- 
bufl  did  ""^  *°  ''""P  "^"'^  »°  ««»  on  it. 

For  near  an  hour  we  rode  around,  hopping  from 
car  to  subway,  and  back  to  a  car  ag^in,  with  a  riT 
m  a  tax.  m  between.  Of  course  I  C  b^this  time 
that^e  was  on  to  me,  but  I  stuck,  hoping' Lra'S: 


152 


Thieves'  Wit 


Later  at  the  Ninety-sixth  street  station  he  darted 
down  the  steps  again,  me  a  good  second.  This  sta- 
tion is  always  crowded.  A  woman  blocked  me  at 
the  gate,  and  he  gained  a  few  seconds.  There  was 
an  express  train  waiting.  Just  as  I  reached  it  the 
guard  closed  the  door  in  my  face.  Fatty  was  just 
inside.  As  the  train  started  he  turned  around  and 
thumbed  his  nose  at  me.    I  felt  cheap. 

A.N. 


i6 

Report  from  Australia 

REFFRRTVr  *  Melbourne,  May  20th 

r«DcS    *°  T'  '"""'^  °^  ^''^  'O*  ultimo 
respecting  one  Kenton  Milbourne  said  to  h. 

bo  JrS;  wrira"  Jd"  rrh-*'"  ^'"^°"  ^^''■ 

America  CyL  Mr  m1"'"*  '"''  ""''^  ^" 
appearing  a,  ~  iJZ^'lTIT  "  ''^  ?"«"* 
^uring  the  province  of  New^out^^vfaTs  "  mT 

f„l']l*'*SP!'°^°«"P'>  y°"  enclosed,  we  are  in 
>53 


154 


Thieves'  Wit 


John  and  the  black  sheep  of  the  family,  who  went  to 
America  ten  years  ago,  after  having  been  implicated 
m  the  robbery  of  Morton's  Bank,  Melbourne,  No 
proceedings  were  ever  taken  against  him. 

From  the  same  informant  we  learn  that  no  one  in 
Australia  has  heard  of  Evan  Whittlesey  since  he 
went  away,  except  possibly  his  brother  who  is  reti- 
cent on  the  subject,  suggesting  that  what  information 
he  has  of  his  brother  is  not  perhaps  creditable. 

At  this  writing  we  arc  unable  to  furnish  any  in- 
formation regarding  Evan  Whittlesey's  early  l.fe 
beyond  what  is  contained  in  the  general  statement 
that  he  was  "wild^"  that  is  to  say,  a  trial  to  his 
parents  and  his  respectable  brother — whose  stage 
name  he  appears  to  have  borrowed  for  his  American 
activities.  If  you  desire  us  to  go  to  the  expense  of  a 
thorough  investigation  of  Evan  Whittlesey's  past, 
please  authorise  by  cable. 

Trusting  to  be  favoured  with  your  future  com- 
mands, etc. 

WiLLARD,   WiLLARD  AND   GaINES. 

The  next  report  from  which  I  will  quote  is  Sadie's. 
It  contained  an  unpleasant  surprise.  In  order  to 
make  it  clear  I  must  briefly  explain  the  arrangements 
of  the  International  Detective  Bureau.  We  had 
three  offices  en  suite  on  the  sixth  floor  of  a  building 
on  West  Forty-Second  street.  The  door  of  the  first 
room  faced  the  elevators,  and  upon  it  was  lettered 
our  sign.  Within  was  a  neat  railing,  behind  which 
•tt  Peter  Kecnan  the  ostensible  head  of  the  estab- 


Thieves'  Wit  ,55 

The  lecond  IM.  room  wag  »pp„,ed  b,  ,1,,  ,„ 

«.Itro:;j^.:tist't""^"'°''- 
iiis«r.,"io":ri'or '-  *°"^" '-« 

on  Sadie  as  one  of  i  ,  "P""''^"  looked 
Kcenan  "the  bos":  Thf  Tof  S'  T' .r/''"^'^ 
opened  on  a  side  corrido'  soTat  tie  men  '^  '°'"" 
seen  around  the  front  office  '"  '''"  "''^^ 

Report  of  S.  F.  (Sadie  Farrell) 

Last  evening  at  5  .-15  operative  S.  C.  came  into  the 
office  wthout  instructions.     He  had  been  toS  I  Je 


156 


Thieves'  Wit 


This  morning  I  heard  loud  talking  in  the  front 
ofiSce.  Mr.  Keenan  explained  later  that  a  queer  old 
man  had  come  in,  and  had  told  a  long  rambling  story 
about  being  persecuted.  It  seems  that  he  wanted 
to  engage  the  agency  to  protect  him.  It  seemed  a 
natural  enough  thing — we  have  had  these  harmless 
cranks  before.  Mr.  Keenan  soothed  him  down  by 
telling  him  we  were  too  busy  to  do  proper  justice  to 
his  case,  and  referred  him  to  the  police  station. 
Neither  of  us  thought  anything  more  about  it. 

This  afternooii  shortly  before  five  I  heard  the 
old  man's  voice  again  in  the  outer  o£Bce.  Mr. 
Keenan  had  stepped  out  to  post  some  papers  to  you. 
The  old  man  was  excited,  and  I  could  hear  by  Miss 
Reilly's  voice  that  she  was  very  much  frightened. 
So  I  went  to  her  assistance. 

I  saw  a  bent,  old  man  in  shabby  black,  with  wild, 
straggly  hair,  broken  teeth  and  red-rimmed  eyes, 
a  repulsive  sight.  The  instant  I  laid  eyes  on  him  I 
saw  that  he  was  not  very  insane.  His  manner  was 
both  servile  and  threatening.  It  was  like  stage  in- 
sanity, incoherent  jabbering  and  wild  gestures.  The 
girl  was  frightened  half  out  of  her  wits. 

I  asked  him  what  he  wanted,  and  he  calmed  right 
down.  His  speech  was  unintelligible  as  if  he  had 
some  of  those  tablets  in  his  mouth  that  actors  use  to 
make  their  voice  thick.  He  made  no  more  trouble. 
He  bowed  and  smirked  and  backed  out  of  the  door. 
The  last  thing  I  heard  was  a  silly  kind  of  laugh. 

By  this  time  I  was  full  of  suspicions.  He  had 
quieted  down  much  too  quickly.     Besides,  there  was 


Thieves'  Wit  157 

S  ^      tf^  '"*'"'"  °^  ^''^  '•'''"or  boys.     They 
".d  the  old  man  had  been  in  three  time       U,t 

evemngasweUastwicetoHlay.     LastniirK 

up  in  the  elevator  with  opemive  S  c     l^^"^^^ 

S.  C  called  up  about  this  time  to  report  that  Mil 
boumc  had  not  left  his  boarding-house  aUdly  Mr 
Keenan  questioned  the  operative  over  the  phone  aj 
my  prompting,  and  we  discovered  that  S  C  h?H 

that  S.  C.  had  lost  Milbourne  about  i -lovV.rr 
He^had  me.  ^ly  .„ppo,ed  that  he  had  gone  home 
holt"'l?H:ZVu  '""."P  ^'i^oumes  boarding. 

i^"nrh::h^dtttfcrj^^^^^^^ 
hr?irw?;™^'r^-"^^^^^^ 

?a°fa-„l  M  r        '^'P'"'*  °"  *^"*=  operatives.    Since 
talkmg  to  this  woman  I  have  received  D.  B  's  renor^ 

ga^  thel         ""r.^"'^  ^'^'^  '*  ~"1'J  be  that 
give  the  old  man  a  familiar  look,  I  suddenly  got  it 

rger,  afterwards  given  to  Richards?    The  man- 


158 


Thieves'  Wit 


agement  thought  Milboume's  conception  was  too 
realiitic,  but  Milbourae  himself  was  childishly  proud 
of  his  make-up  in  that  part.  He  showed  us  a  photo- 
graph, do  you  remember?  Well,  that  was  the  same 
old  man,  wrinkles,  scraggly  hair,  mean  smile  and  all. 
The  same  clothes. 

It  is  easyto  figure  out  now  what  happened.  After 
giving  the  operative  the  slip  in  the  department  store, 
Milboume  went  to  some  friend's  room  or  thieves' 
hangout  and  disguised  himself.  He  then  returned 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  boarding-house  on  49th 
street  and  watched  the  watchers  there.  When  S.  C. 
was  relieved  by  A.  N.  at  five,  Milboume  followed 
S.  C.  into  the  office.  He  was  smart  enough  to  see 
on  his  first  visit  to-day  that  Mr.  Keenan  was  not  the 
real  head  of  the  office,  and  so  he  bothered  us  until 
I  betrayed  myself.  Hence  the  laug^  when  he  went 
out. 

I  need  not  say  how  sorry  I  am  for  the  accident. 
I  blame  myself  quite  as  much  as  S.  C.  Luck  played 
right  into  Milboume's  hand  this  time.  I  see  how 
important  it  is.  He  knows  of  the  connection  be- 
tween you  and  I,  consequently  all  your  trouble  to 
let  it  be  supposed  that  you  are  out  of  the  case  goes 
for  nothing  now. 

I  have  replaced  S.  C.  with  the  new  man,  W.  J., 
who  came  so  well  recommended.  I  have  put  S.  C. 
at  clerical  work.     Shall  I  discharge  him  altogether? 


S.F. 


Thieves'  Wit 

Report  of  J,  M.  No.  5 


159 


On  Saturday  afternoon  after  work  aZJ-^'** 
wiia  wnicn  1  am  provided  to  M    .    '.  r.,™-  u 

oucn  eyes  I  am  sure,  would  look  on  at  the  murder 
of  a  parent  unconcerned— if  there  was  ZJh-      • 
't.     I  believe  you  are  riorh^  ;„  •  *"y*'""K  "» 

«.n.  Good  J,„\-^S-;^- ;•-- "^  ;k. 

But  he  was  afraid  of  me.     He  offered  to  ienA  ™ 

3:7  °"7J  '^r'"''^'  ''"*  declined  to  p^lr 
He  demanded  to  know  how  Jf  J,,^  •    P'"^'^""^. 


i6o 


Thieves*  Wit 


stone  out  of  my  wife's  engagement  ring.  The  ring 
itself  she  still  wore  with  its  empty  setting.  Such 
was  the  pathos  of  the  tale  that  I  almost  succeeded  in 
convincing  myself  that  it  was  true.  It  didn't  matter, 
of  course,  whether  the  pawnbroker  believed  it  or 
not,  but  it  had  to  be  a  good  story  on  the  face  of  it, 
because  it  would  be  fatal  to  my  chances  of  success  if 
I  gave  the  impression  of  being  a  fool. 

The  hard  eyes  gave  no  sign  one  way  or  another. 
One  could  hardly  expect  a  pawnbroker  to  be  moved 
by  a  hard  luck  story.  He  told  me  to  come  back  on 
Monday  at  noon,  and  he  would  see  what  he  could  do 
for  me. 

I  hastened  up  there  as  soon  as  we  were  released 
for  the  lunch  hour  to-day.  There  were  two  men 
loitering  in  the  store ;  men  of  the  same  kidney  as  the 
astute  proprietor  apparently,  very  sprucely  dressed. 

M, himself  ignored  me  for  the  moment  and  this 

precious  pair  gave  me  the  "once  over"  as  they  say. 
I  could  feel  their  eyes  boring  into  me  like  gimlets. 
However,  it  is  possible  to  be  too  sharp  to  be  dis- 
cerning. They  were  deceived.  A  scarcely  per- 
ceptible sign  passed  between  them  and  the  pawn- 
broker, and  the  latter  suddenly  became  aware  of  the 
existence  of  his  shabby  customer. 

He  now  "showed  me  what  he  intended  for  a  real 
friendly  air.  He  couldn't  buy  my  diamond  himself, 
he  said,  but  seeing  he  felt  so  sorry  for  me  he  would 
send  me  to  a  diamond  broker  he  knew,  who  would 
do  business  with  me  if  I  satisfied  him  it  was  on  the 
level.     He  gave  me  an  address  near  by.    I  enclose 


Thieves'  Wit 


i6i 

Ae  card,  but  neither  the  name  nor  the  address  means 
anything  of  course      I  went  there  at  once,  risking  a 

t"  IheTo  '"  '^  ^  ^"  '*'"  «'"'"8  •'«'' 

It  was  a  room  on  the  second  floor  of  a  typical 
Third  avenue  house,  shop  below,  furnished  rooms 
above,  and  the  elevated  road  pounding  by  the  win- 
dows     Evident  y  there  had  been  a  hasty  attempt 
to  make  It  look  like  an  office;  a  desk  had  been 
brought  in  and  the  bed  removed.     Behind  the  desk 
sat  a  fat  man  rolling  a  cigar  between  his  thick  lips, 
and  trymg  to  look  as  if  he  were  not  expecting  me. 
He  looked  prosperous  in  a  common  way,  with  his 
silk  hat  on  the  back  of  his  head,  and  his  immense 
kapmg  cutaway.     His  face  was  red  and  what  passes 
for  good-humoured  with  little  pig  eyes  lost  in  fat 
A  huge  moustache  with  curled  ends,  decorated  it,  the 
kind  of  moustache  that  I  thought  even  New  York 
pohticians  had  given  up  nowadays.     In  a  phrase, 
the  manlooked  like  a  ward  leader  «f  fifteen  years 
ago.     Tlic  most  characteristic  thing  about  him  was 
IMS  busding  energy,  unusual  in  one  so  fat 

This  aUeged  diamond  broker  was  making  out  to 
De  very  much  occupied  with  business.  He  kept  m- 
wa.tmg  a  while.  As  soon  as  he  took  the  diamond 
m  his  hand  I  saw  that  he  knew  nothing  about  stones. 
He  didn  t  even  have  a  glass  to  examine  it.     Evi- 

.Ill-L?'  T'^.l'l'^  ''""  P"'*'^  t°  h™  that  it  was 
aU  nght.  But  if  he  knew  nothing  about  diamonds, 
toe  was  well  experienced  in  humanity.  He  put  me 
tnrough  a  gruelling  cross-examination  which  I  sup- 


I62 


Thieves'  Wit 


ported  a>  beit  I  coulA  My  delicate  problem  was 
to  lead  him  to  tuipect  I  wat  a  crook,  without  letting 
him  think  I  wat  a  fool.  To  this  end  I  elaborated 
the  story  of  my  old  wife's  engagement  ring.  He 
listened  to  it  with  a  leer  in  his  little  eyes,  as  much  as 
to  say:  "Pretty  good  old  fellow  I  But  you  needn't 
take  all  that  trouble  with  me!" 

He  expressed  himself  as  satisfied,  and  we  passed 
to  the  discussion  of  the  price.  I  asked  something 
near  the  stone's  real  value.  He  laughed,  and  of- 
fered me  a  fifth  of  that.  We  were  presently  hotly 
engaged  in  humanldnd's  first  game,  bargaining.  He 
loved  it.  Unfortunately  I  was  handicapped  by  the 
necessity  of  getting  back  to  work.  We  agreed  on  a 
price  which  was  about  a  quarter  of  the  stone's  value. 
No  doubt  he  would  have  had  more  respect  for  me 
if  I  had  held  out  longer.  He  paid  me  out  of  an 
enormous  roll  of  greasy  bills. 

I  was  sorry  to  see  the  stone  go.  It  was  a  good 
one,  nearly  two  carats.  It  was  not  safe  of  course  to 
mark  it  in  any  visible  way,  but  I  have  had  this  and 
the  other  decoy  diamonds  carefully  described  and 
photographed,  so  that  we  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
identifying  them  later. 

As  I  was  about  to  leave  he  shook  my  hand  in 
fnendly  fashion,  and  still  with  that  indescribable 
leer,  expressed  a  hope  that  he  might  do  further 
business  together. 
I  mumbled  something  about  a  pair  of  earrings. 
"Good!"  he  said.  "Let  me  see  them.  Even  if 
you  don't  want  to  let  me  have  them,  I'll  appraise 


Thiew.'  Wit 


i«$ 


I  declined  to  give  it 

t«ll  you  where  you  c.^^J^^'  """''«"'")  -» 
I  «ot  back  to  n,y  work  ju.t  in  time  to  .void  a  fine. 


J.M. 


Report  of  J.  M.  No.  6 


•trcct  I  ran  into  my  fat  friend     H^  Thirty-Fourth 
eet  Which  slap  the  pavement  resoundingly.     His 

su  lenlv  for  T  w;^  »1    •  l  "•     Somewhat 

Hin,.i^or,erthr  iT^^xiireSir  --', 

Ufd tr'.;"'"  '"^  •^"''^  restaurantTg^STef  He 
f«  man  ""  *°  ^'"  ""^  "'""«•      "»  'ouJ  jolly 

fat-man  ways  provide  a  cover  for  .  consfde Sk 


i64 


Thieves'  Wit 


•ituteneii.  It  was  my  game  to  make  out  that  I  wai 
startled  to  be  found  in  that  neighbourhood,  and  that 
my  conscience  was  none  too  good.  It  was  his  game 
to  put  me  at  my  ease  and  have  it  understood  that 
everything  went  between  friends.  Nothing  was 
said,  however,  about  his  business  or  mine. 

I  stuck  to  my  lately-arrived  immigrant  story,  and 
he  symphathised  with  my  lonesomeness  in  a  strange 
land.  He  was  a  bachelor,  he  said,  and  often  lone- 
some himself.  This  line  led  presently  to  an  invita- 
tion for  me  to  join  him  last  night  for  a  little  socia- 
bility at  the  Turtle' Bay  Caf6  on  Lexington  Avenue. 
I  accepted  it.  I  am  sure  by  his  eagerness  to  culti- 
vate my  acquaintance  that  he  knows  I  work  in 
Dunsany's. 

I  met  him  at  eight  o'clock,  and  we  secured  a  little 
table  to  ourselves  in  a  sort  of  alcove.  The  Turtle 
Bay  is  just  one  of  the  usual  saloons,  mahogany,  plate 
glass  and  electric  lights.  The  principal  lure  of  such 
places  is  the  dazzling  flood  of  light  they  cast  on  the 
pavement.  They  have  discovered  the  subtle  psycho- 
logical appeal  of  li^t.  Away  with  night  and  its 
terrors  J 

My  fat  friend  was  liberally  hospitable.  I  allowed 
my  suspicious  sullen  manner  to  be  charmed  away  by 
degrees.  In  a  way  he  is  really  entertaining  with  his 
gross  humour  and  rude  vitality.  I  suppose  any  one 
can  charm  when  they  have  a  mind  to.  The  cloven 
hoof,  however,  peeped  out  in  his  brutal  snarls  at 
the  newsies  and  beggars  who  came  to  our  table.  On 
the  whole  I  enjoyed  myself.     It  was  a  lot  better 


Thieves'  Wit 


i<^ 


thin  mooning  in  my  wretched  room,  or  wandering 
the  lultry  .trecti  thinking  of  the  cool  and  comfort- 
able  club. 

The  will  being  good  on  both  sides  we  got  along 
famously.  No  actual  confidences  have  passed  be- 
tween  us  yet,  but  we  are  ripe  for  them.  As  we  mel- 
lowed  together  I  allowed  it  tn  peep  out  that  I  had  a 
bitter  grudge  against  soricty.  and  uould  stop  at 
nothmg  to  feed  it  He  enthisiastically  applauded 
my  sentiments. 

"Life  is  a  bank !"  he  said,  "that's  got  to  be  busted 
into  if  a  man  wants  to  enjov  any  of  the  good  things  1" 

I  am  to  caU  him  George  Pawling.  We  have  i 
date  to  meet  at  the  Turtle  Bay  again  to-mon  „ 
night.  I  hinted  that  I  might  have  another  diam-na 
or  two. 

I  was  glad  to  hear  from  you  that  this  mar,  h 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  gang.  So  I  am  on  the  r-rfj 
track! 

J.M. 


17 

IDONT  want  to  give  you  too  much  of  the  opera- 
tives* reports.  I  tell  myself  it  is  not  to  be  ex- 
pected anybody  would  have  the  same  absorbing  in- 
terest that  I  have  in  all  the  ramifications  of  the 
case.  So  I  will  go  on  with  my  story  in  the  ordinary 
way. 

After  the  catastrophe,  it  will  be  remembered,  Miss 
Hamerton  and  Sadie  had  gone  into  the  country  to  a 
little  retreat  I  chose  for  them.     After  a  day  or  two 
Sadie,  seeing  that  Miss  Hamerton  could  be  left 
alone,  would  in  fact  be  better  Ame,  returned,  and 
took  up  her  work  on  the  case  as  has  been  seen. 
Later,  that  is  about  the  first  of  June,  Miss  Hamerton 
was  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  go  to  South- 
ampton,   and   open   her   cottage    for   the   season. 
Now,  towards  the  end  of  the  month,  I  learned  that 
she  had  come  to  town  for  a  few  days  to  talk  over 
next  season's  plans  with  her  manager.    All  of  which 
was  encouraging  as  far  as  her  health  and  spirits 
were  concerned.    But  thinking  of  my  friend  Roland, 
I  was  not  anxious  to  see  her  recover  too  quickly. 
I  had  kept  my  promise  to  him,  and  Miss  Hamerton 
was  unaware  that  I  was  still  busy  on  her  case. 

I  was  shy  about  going  to  see  her.  My  feeling 
was,  considering  her  position  and  mine,  that  if  she 
wished  to  keep  up  the  connection  she  ought  to  give 

166 


Thieves'  Wit 


167 


me  some  sign.     I  confess  I  was  a  little  hurt  that 
1  had  not  received  any. 

One  day  as  I  was  returning  to  the  office  after  lunch 
1  met  her  stroUing  up  the  avenue  with  Mount. 
When  I  caught  sight  of  her  the  whole  street  bright- 
ened  for  me  with  her  loveliness.  I  watched  her 
coming  for  half  a  block  before  she  saw  me.  She 
seemed  well;  she  had  a  good  colour,  and  her  face 
was  vivacious— more  vivacious  than  it  used  to  be 
a  little  too  vivacious.  She  seemed  to  have  become 
aware  of  the  necessity  of  vivacity.  When  she 
laughed  her  eyes  were  sombre. 

She  was  dressed  in  a  strange  bright  bluft— few 
women  could  have  carried  off  that  dazzling  colour 
so  well  with  coral  red  at  her  girdle  and  on  her  hat. 
She  walked  through  the  crowd  with  the  beautiful  un- 
consciousness  that  was  part  of  her  stage  training. 
The  stanng,  the  whispering,  the  craning  of  necfa, 
neither  troubled  nor  pleased  her.  Alfred  Mount, 
who  was  no  child  in  the  world,  could  not  quite  hide 
his  pride  at  being  seen  with  her.  He,  too,  was 
gorgeously  arrayed,  a  little  too  well-dressed  for  a 
man  of  his  age.  But  I  had  to  grant  his  youthful 
air,  and  good  looks. 

I  raised  my  hat,  and  was  for  keeping  on,  but  she 
stopped  short. 

"Arc  you  going  to  pass  me  by?"  she  cried  with 
charming  reproachfulness. 

I  became  as  proud  and  conceited  as  Mount,  thus 
to  be  singled  out  by  her.     Everybody  stared  at  me. 


i68 


Thieves'  Wit 


Mount's  greeting  was  affable  and  chilly— like  winter 
sunshine.     I  fell  into  step  beside  them. 

"Why  haven't  you  been  to  see  me?"  she  de- 
manded. 

"Why  didn't  you  let  me  know  you  were  in  town?" 
I  countered. 

"I  didn't  like  to  bother  one  so  busy,"  she  said. 

This  to  me  from  her  I     I  walked  on  air. 

"How  is  business,  Enderby?"  Mount  asked  in  a 
faintly  sneering  tone. 

"Poor,"  I  said  calmly.  "Everybody  appears  to 
be  behaving  themselves." 

"Ah  1"  said  he. 

"What  stories  he  could  tell  us  if  he  would  1"  my 
dear  lady  said  admiringly. 

I  smiled,  as  I  suppose  was  expected  of  me.  Little 
did  she  suspect  that  the  only  case  I  had  was  hers. 

We  walked  on  chatting  idly.  What  was  said 
wouldn't  be  worth  repeating,  I  expect,  even  if  I  could 
remember  it.  For  me  the  mere  sound  of  her  voice 
was  enough. 

There  was  no  mention  of  the  unhappy  things 
that  were  past.  We  were  all  engaged  in  a  tacit 
conspiracy  to  look  forward.  She  told  me  of  the  new 
play  that  was  proposed  for  her.  She  insisted  that 
I  must  read  it  before  the  matter  was  finally  de- 
termined. 

"You  have  such  wonderful  good  sense  I"  she  said. 

"And  not  at  all  affected  by  the  actor's  point  of  view." 

Mount's  face  looked  a  Jittle  pinched  at  this  warm 

praise,     I  wondered,  had  he  been  consulted  about 


Thieves'  Wit 


169 


the  play.  If  he  really  honoured  me  with  his  jealousy 
he  was  foolish.  I  did  not  dream  of  aspiring  to  be 
anythmg  more  than  her  honest,  faithful  friend, 
iadie,  I  hoped,  was  my  destined  mate  while  Irma 
Hamerton  was— why  she  was  the  sun  over  us  all. 
^adie  herself  felt  the  same  towards  her  as  I  did 
On  the  other  hand  I  was  jeal6us  of  Mount.  I  con- 
sidcred  him  presumptuous  to  aspire  to  our  sun,  as 
he  plamly  did.  He  wasn't  half  good  enough— half  ? 
—he  wasn't  worthy  to  tie  her  shoe.  Besides,  I  was 
anxious  about  Roland. 

At  Forty-second  street  they  were  turning  West  to 

the   theatre   district,   and   I   bade  them   good-bye. 

Miss  Hamerton  covered  me  with  confusion  by  ask- 

mg  me  to  dine  with  her  at  her  hotd  the  same  night. 

Is  It  to  be  a  party?"  I  asked. 

"No,  indeed,"  she  said.     "Nobody  but  Alfred  " 

..  J'^'l^''^'^^'^"  '^^  "'='^-     ^*  J"^  "I'^ay  been 
Mr.  Mount."     It  set  my  teeth  on  edge. 

I  accepted  and  left  them. 

Dinner  was  served  in  her  exquisite  little  drawing- 
room  now  loaded  with  sweet  peas.  For  some 
reason  that  I  have  forgotten,  the  tiresome  old  Mrs. 
BIcecker  was  not  in  evidence— still  I  did  not  have  a 
good  time.  I  believe  none  of  us  had.  "Alfred"  still 
stuck  in  my  crop.  I  reflected  jealously,  that  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  accidental  meeting  with  me,  Mount 
would  have  been  alone  with  her.  No  doubt  he  was 
thinking  of  that,  too.  Everything  from  hors 
daeuvres  to  chartreuse  was  exquisite,  but  I  had  no 
zest  in  it. 


170 


Thieves'  Wit 


It  was  "Alfred"  this  and  "Alfred"  that.  Really 
it  seemed  as  if  my  dear  lady  was  rubbing  it  in.  I 
suppose  that  was  her  delicate  way  of  letting  me 
know  of  her  intentions.  I  fancied  I  perceived  a 
certain  apprehensiveness  in  her  as  to  how  I  was  go- 
ing to  take  it.  Perhaps  I  flattered  myself.  Any- 
how it  was  enough  to  make  the  angels  weep.  She 
was  not  in  the  least  in  love  with  him,  she  could  not 
have  been,  but  after  the  way  of  dear,  ignorant 
women  she  was  trying  to  persuade  herself  that  she 
was.  Hence  the  "Alfreds."  I  thought  of  my  pas- 
sionate young  friend  eating  his  heart  out  in  a  hall 
bedroom  and  my  food  choked  me. 

Irma  made  some  half  laughing  reference  to  the 
relief  of  being  freed  from  Mrs.  Bleecker's  presence. 

"If  she  bothers  you  why  don't  you  let  her  go?" 
said  Mount. 

"Poor  soul  I  What  would  she  do?"  said  Irma. 
"She'd  never  get  another  situation,  she's  so  disagree- 
able. Besides,  I  don't  know  that  I  could  do  any 
better." 

"Hardly  worth  while,"  said  Mount.  "You  won't 
need  a  chaperon  much  longer." 

This  was  plain  enough.  It  killed  conversation 
for  a  moment  or  two.  I  was  sure  Irma  sent  an  im- 
ploring glance  in  my  direction,  but  I  kept  my  eyes  on 
my  plate.  Was  it  imploring  me  not  to  judge  her, 
or  imploring  me  to  support  her  in  what  she  meant 
to  do,  or  imploring  me  to  save  her  from  it?  How 
was  a  man  to  tell?  I  am  sure  she  would  have  been 
glad  if  I  had  forced  the  question  into  the  open,  but 


Thieves'  Wit  171 

I  didn't  know  how  to  do  it.  True.  I  could  have 
dropped  a  bomb  in  the  middle  of  the  table  that  would 
have  shattered  Mount's  hopes,  merely  by  telling 
what  I  knew  of  Roland.  But  my  lips  were  sealed 
by  my  promise  to  him. 

I  ^uT  "'^'^a  'f")'  f««t'ou»  remark  at  which  we 
laughed  and  fled  from  the  disconcerting  subject. 
But  It  seemed  as  if  we  could  not  avoid  it  for  long. 
1  he  most  mnocent  line  of  conversation  had  a  wTr 
of  landmg  us  squarely  in  front  of  it.  As  when  Irnia 
said : 

"Have  you  heard  that  Beulah  Maddox  has  started 
agam  to  get  a  divorce?" 

Miss  Maddox  had  been  the  heavy  woman  in  our 
company. 

"That  is  the  eleventh  time  she  has  started  pro- 
ceedmgs,  isn't  it?"  said  I. 

''Constant  in  inconstancy  1"  murmured  Mount. 
Miss  Maddox's  emotions  are  like  soap-bubbles, " 
1  said. 

*'Do  you  think  women  are  fickle?"  Irma  asked 
''ainful       "  ^°°^ '"  ""^'^^  *'''"  ''"  something  very 

I,  thinking  of  poor  Roland  agonizing  over  his 
shorthand  book  until  after  midnight  every  nidit 
could  not  help  but  shrug  slightly.  ^"T^  "'Snt, 

"If  they  are  it's  the  men's  fault  I"  said  Irma 
bitterly.  "The  men  I  have  known  would  make 
constancy  in  women  an  indication  of  imbecility!" 

So  there  we  were  again  1 

"Funny,  isn't  it,"  drawled  Mount,  "how  the  sexes 


17* 


Thieves'  Wit 


have  no  vtte  for  each  other,  yet  love  stories  stUI 
seU." 

We  laughed  again.  You  had  to  admit  Mount 
was  a  good  man  at  a  dinner  table. 

I  excused  myself  early  on  the  plea  of  business,  and 
went  direct  to  Roland.  Here  I  find  I  am  a  little 
ahead  of  my  story,  for  I  have  not  told  you  of  his 
present  circumstances. 

Roland  had  forsworn  the  stage.  In  this,  as  in 
everything  else,  he  was  an  extremist,  and  he  had  cut 
himself  off  absolutely  from  his  former  life.  People 
were  always  deceived  by  Roland's  quietness.  That 
composed  face  and  indifferent  manner  concealed  a 
capacity  for  white  hot  passion.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  I  suppose,  really  passionate  people  are  always 
like  this,  they  couldn't  live  with  themselves  else, 
but  we  are  blind  to  it.  Roland  had  the  spirit  of  a 
fanatic  He  was  always  torturing  himself  one  way 
or  another.  You  couldn't  help  being  fond  of  him  he 
was  so  noble — and  so  silly. 

Now,  if  you  please,  he  had  sold  everything  he 
possessed,  and  with  the  proceeds  had  pensioned  off 
his  old  servant  with  an  annuity.  The  mysterious 
legacy  which  had  counted  so  against  him,  he  had 
turned  over  to  me  with  instructions  to  use  it  in 
bringing  the  thieves  of  Irma's  pearls  to  justice.  I 
couldn't  very  well  refuse  the  money  without  con- 
fessing that  Walter  Dunsany  was  backing  me,  and 
no  one  in  the  world,  not  even  Sadie,  was  to  know  of 
the  relations  between  Mr.  Dunsany  and  me.  Be- 
sides, if  I  hadn't  taken  it  he  would  have  done  some- 


Thieves'  Wit  173 

thing  more  fooli.h  with  it.    So  I  wa.  holding  it  in 

Having  divested  himself  literally  of  every  cent 
Roland  set  about  finding  a  job.     Among  his  old 

wou^d  have  been  glad  to  put  him  in  the  way  of  a 

t'l  r''  ui  °'  r'"  ''^  -"'d  not  apply  to 
but  he  i™,f  ^"'  ''""^  ''""^^'"K  for  him  my'elf. 
but  he  would  not  let  me.  He  wanted  to  stand  on 
h.s  own  bottom,  he  said.     He  set  about  answering 

any  green  lad  from  the  country 

Roland  with  his  romantic  good  looks  could  not 
b    ms^.fica„t  m  any  sphere  however  humble.    He 

as  h     tioLh^V"  ''"  ^^"""^  ^°'^  *°  "^«  himself, 
as  he  thought,  from  starvation.     He  served  as  a 

hited  hi,        J*?  T^  '°  "y  "  '^^'  »™=  that  he 
He  fiirt  '°f  j'  ".^  J  '""y  *'>''*  he  meant  it. 
,n<r;„     •    ^    ?''''^  "  ^°^  "  """ta"  bookkeeper 
and   nvo.e  clerk  with  a  coffee  importer  on  Wate 

Tu\  V  ''.''  hypnotised  them  into  believing  he 
could  keep  books  I  can't  say.     His  salary  was  ten 

wS^'i'ant""''  "'  ^  ''^'^  '^'''"■"  '^>  -hich  you 
wiU  grant  was  somethmg  of  a  change  for  the  late 

on  Sf/.^  '''  ""'!:""''•  "'  '''^  -  hall  bedroom 
on  East  Seventeenth  street,  and  ate  outside.  In  th™ 
cvemngs  he  boned  shorthand.     His  idea  was  to 

toTtldyl'r"  '"^"^  '^^  '""°«^^P''"'  -^ «-% 


174 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  found  him  at  usual  in  the  wretched  little  room, 
bending  over  the  shorthand  manual  with  a  green 
siiade  over  his  eyes.  I  was  his  only  visitor  in  those 
days.  He  was  thinner  than  of  yore,  not  so  harassed 
perhaps,  but  grimmer.  There  were  deep  hawklike 
lines  from  his  proud  nose  to  the  comers  of  his  bitter 
lips.  It  ma4-  me  savage  to  see  him  wasting  his 
splendid  yojrh  in  this  fashion. 

"I've  ju.-  had  dinner  with  Irma,"  I  said 

"Yes?"  he  said  calmly. 

You  never  could  get  any  change  out  of  Roland. 
Whatever  he  felt  hi  never  dropped  that  hawk  mask. 

"Mount  was  there." 

"Charming  fellow.  Mount." 

"Do  you  like  him?"  I  asked  amazed. 

"I  neither  like  him  nor  dislike  him,"  he  said 
evenly.     "He's  a  charming  fellow,  isn't  he?" 

"Oh,  that's  the  tag  they  put  on  him,"  I  said  im- 
patiently. 

He  returned  his  attention  to  the  shorthand  book. 
This  unnatural  pretence  of  indifference  exasperated 
me  beyond  bearing. 

"I  believe  they're  preparing  to  get  married,"  I 
said  brutally. 

"We  expected  that,  didn't  we?" 

"Don't  you  caref" 

"Not  overmuch." 

I  knew  he  lied. 

"What  do  yoa  want  to  put  on  this  pretence  with 
me  for?"  I  demanded.     "If  you  were  really  as  caJ- 


Thieves'  Wit 


175 

lous  >nd  unfeeling  »  you  make  out  I  wouldn't  bother 
with  you. 
He  merely  smiled. 

I    ^  ;^"„*'««™ined  to  rouse  him.     "She  doesn't 
love  him,"  I  said. 

"He's  rich,"  he  returned  with  a  sneer. 

All  the  time  I  was  trying  to  goad  him  I  was  get- 
tmg  more  worked  up  myself.  "That's  not  it  I"  I 
answered  angrily^  "Nobody  knows  it  better  than 
you.  She  s  sound  to  the  core.  It',  only  your  black 
temper  that  sees  evil  in  her  I" 

"Then  how  do  you  explain  Mount?"  he  asked. 

That  s  her  m.tmct,"  I  said.     "It  would  be  any 

her^lfThT^'  T'^t  ^^'''  ''^'"^  '°  P"«'«de 
herself  that  she  loves  him  to  fill  the  horrible  empti- 
ness  of  her  heart  since  you  failed  her." 

two  peJk..''"^"  ^"  "''^  ^''*^  *""  '^''"°''»  •"''^'''K 
"Predsely.     You  have  no  right  to  allow  her  to 
go  on  thinkmg  that  you  are  guilty." 

h\llJT'  K?"  *°uf  '"'°  *^"*  "««'"'"  •«  "!d  with 
nis  immovable  stubbornness. 

crie"  ^"^  '*  "  "tastrophc  it  wiU  be  your  fault,"  I 

vo3'""'''n  *  ^'.r  1°^^  y°"  °'*'="'  y°"'^«  «"»«<!  your 
vocation,    Ben,"    he    said    with    his   bitter    smile. 

You  re  so  romantic.    Let's  change  the  subject." 
thJ  T''    -    "l'^-     "^''"  K^"''  ^'"^  ^•""ntic,  if 
ever  did,  because  I  have  no  hopes  there  myself.     I 


176 


Thieves'  Wit 


am  thinking  of  her.    You  think  of  nothing  but  your^ 
•elf  and  your  childish  pride  I" 

"Bravo,  Ben  I"  he  laid  mockingly. 

"I  can't  stand  aside  and  see  her  marry  Mount. 
He's  too  old.  There's  an  evil  spot  in  him  some 
place  that  I  can't  put  my  finger  on." 

"Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?" 

"I  came  to  you  to  get  you  to  let  me  off  my  promise 
to  say  nothing." 

That  roused  him  as  nothing  else  could.  He 
sprang  up,  his  face  dark  with  passion.  He  actually 
threatened  me  witjh  his  fist. 

"You  swore  to  me  I"  he  cried.  "By  God  1  if  you 
break  your  oath " 

"Keep  your  hair  on,"  I  said.  "Am  I  not  here 
asking  you  to  let  me  off?" 

"I  will  not  let  you  off,"  he  said.  "This  is  my 
affair,  and  mine  only " 

"How  about  her?"  I  put  in. 

He  did  not  hear  me. 

"You  mean  to  be  my  friend,  but  friendship  has  no 
right  to  dictate  another  man's  private  affairs.  I  lead 
my  life  as  I  have  to.  You  lead  yours.  No  inter- 
ference. That's  the  only  way  we  can  be  friends. 
The  only  way  you  can  help  me  in  this  is  by  bringing 
the  thieves  to  book." 

"But  that's  going  to  be  a  long  chase,"  I  groaned. 
"Meanwhile  Mount  is  making  hay.  What's  the  use 
of  publishing  the  truth  if  the  mischief  is  already 
done?" 


Thieves'  Wit 


177 


"If  (he  can  bring  henel/  to  mtrry 


He  shrugged. 
Mount 1" 

The  self-iufficiency  of  a  passionate  young  man  I  I 
could  almost  have  wept  at  my  helplessness  against 
his  obstmacy.  "Be  fair  I"  I  cried.  "It  is  our  ex- 
penence,  our  knowledge  of  men  that  warns  us  against 
Mount.    How  can  she  tell?" 

"This  does  no  good,"  he  muttered. 

In  his  bitter  wrongheadedness  I  believe  that  he 
almost  wished  that  Irma  might  find  out  her  mistake 
too  late. 

But  I  would  not  give  up,  though  I  felt  it  was 
useless  "What  happiness  can  there  be  for  any 
of  us  if  Irma  comes  to  grief?"  I  said, 

i>^^?^\  ^°l  ^°^''  "'''  ^'"P  •*'"  ''«  '"«d  painfully. 
What  s  the  good  of  tearing  open  these  old  sores. 
You  re  off  on  the  wrong  tack.  I've  told  you  often 
enough.  What  if  you  did  tell  her  I  was  innocent, 
and  she  turned  back  to  me.  That  would  be  worse. 
I  have  nothmg  for  her.  I  don't  believe  in  her. 
5>hes  dead  to  me.  You  can't  revive  that  sort  of 
thing." 

"Very  well,  then,"  I  said.  "It  would  be  more 
merciful  never  to  tell  her  that  you  are  innocent." 

That  touched  him.  "Oh-^-|"  he  said  sharply 
taken  aback.  "A  man  doesn't  like  to  dwell  under 
that  sort  of  accusation  I  He  quickly  recovered  him- 
self.       Just  as  you  think  best,"  he  said  hardily. 

But  let  him  make  believe  all  he  liked,  the  one 
little  g  impse  had  convinced  me  that  he  was  human 
alter  all. 


'"oocorr  hmuition  tbt  chmt 

(*NSI  gnd  ISO  TIST  CHAKT  No.  2) 


l^l^l^ 


A 


^^PPLIED  IN/MGE    Inc 

I6M  EoM  Mdn  Slra«t 

R>cM».  Kn  roi»       l4«oa      us, 

(7I«)  «2  -  0X0  -  Phona 

(71<)  2W  -  jgm  -  Fn 


i8 

IT  was  on  the  way  home  from  Roland's  room  in 
the  dark  and  silent  side  streets  that  I  first  dis- 
covered I  was  being  trailed.    Since  receiving  Sadie's 
report  of  Milboume's  visit  to  her  office  I  had  ex- 
pected this.    It  troubled  me  little.     My  position  as 
commander-in-chief  kept  me  behind  the  lines,  and 
they  would  not  Icam  much  by  following  me.     My 
mail  I  got  from  the  post-office  myself,  and  our  tele- 
phone conversations  as  a  rule  would  not  have  con- 
veyed anything  to  an  outsider,  if  he  did  succeed  in 
intercepting  them.     At  the  same  time  it  was  annoy- 
ing  to  know  oneself  watched.     I  wondered  if  there 
was  any  advantage  to  be  gained  from  a  counter 
stroke.    Since  they  had  succeeded  in  bringing  me 
into  the  open,  I  had  a  mind  to  take  an  open  shot  at 
them.     I  began  to  lay  my  plans  forthwith. 

My  shadow  picked  me  up  as  I  issued  from  my 
house  next  morning.  He  waited  outside  the  restau- 
rant  where  I  had  my  breakfast  and  accompanied  me 
to  the  office.  Looking  out  of  my  office  window  I 
could  actually  see  him  sitting  on  a  bench  in  Bryant 
Park  (q)posite.  He  was  a  slender  young  man  with 
an  unwholesome  complexion  and  mean,  sharp  eyes, 
a  "sleirth"  of  the  cheapest  type.  I  wondered  some- 
what since  they  thought  me  worth  following,  that 
they  had  not  chosen  a  better  instrument  than  that. 
178 


Thieves'  Wit 


179 


He  had  a  good  long  wait,  for  I  sent  out  for  sand- 
wiches at  lunch  time.  At  two  o'clock  he  was  relieved 
by  a  man,  considerably  beefier  but  not  a  bit  more 
intelligent-looking.  It  apparently  had  not  occurred 
them    "  *°  investigate  if  I  was  watching 

I  determined  to  reach  back  at  my  enemies  through 
their  own  spy.  Having  telephoned  Sadie  to  have 
two  good  men  meet  me  at  the  New  Amsterdam  Hotel 
at  five-thirty,  I  saUied  forth.  My  shadow  resumed 
hjs  attendance  at  my  heels  in  the  most  obvious  way. 
What  kind  of  a  fool  did  he  think  I  wasi  It  was 
child  s  play  to  shake  him  off.  I  merely  went  through 
the  drug-store  m  the  Times  Building  and  downstairs 
to  the  subway  station.  I  crossed  under  the  tracks, 
mixed  m  the  crowd  on  the  up-town  platform,  and 
ascended  to  the  street  again.  I  saw  my  gum-shoe 
artist' no  more. 

I  met  the  two  men  Sadie  sent  me,  gave  them  their 
instructions  and  went  home.     My  only  fear  now  was 
tiiat  I  might  not  be  able  to  find  my  traUer  again. 
IJut  bye  and  bye  to  my  satisfaction  I  saw  the  beefy 
one  loafing  across  the  street.     I  went  out  and  dined 
weU,  while  he  looked  through  the  restaurant  window. 
1  took  m  a  show,  letting  him  cool  his  heels  outside 
/  M  i7  ^1^  afterwards  I  treated  myself  to  one 
of  old  Adam  s  rabbits  and  a  mug  of  ale.     It  was 
near  midnight  when  I  was  through  with  that  and  the 
time  was  npe  for  my  little  comedy.     I  wended  mv 
way  towards  the  office  with  gumshoes  hard  on  my 
,trail.  ' 


i8o 


Thieves'  Wit 


The  little  building  where  I  have  my  office  is  given 
over  entirely  to  business,  and  is  closed  for  the  night 
at  ten  o'clock.  Like  the  other  tenants,  I  am  pro- 
vided with  a  latchkey,  in  case  I  have  to  get  in  after 
hours.  I  am  often  there  late,  but  I  have  never  met 
any  of  the  other  tenants  at  night. 

It  all  went  through  as  on  roller  bearings.  I 
walked  down  Fortieth  street  softly  whistling 
"Mighty  Lak'  a  Rose,"  which  was  my  signal  to  the 
two  men.  They  were  posted  in  the  shadow  of  the 
last  doorway  I  had  to  pass  before  turning  into  my 
own.     The  block  ii  a  quiet  one  at  that  hour. 

I  let  myself  into  my  building  and  w;\ited  just  inside 
ithe  door.  When  gum-shoes  came  along  all  unsus- 
picious, my  two  friends  jumped  him,  and  holding  his 
mouth,  hustled  him  in  after  me,  before  he  well  knew 
what  had  struck  him.  We  improvised  a  gag  out  of 
a  handkerchief,  and  carried  him  up-stairt  to  my 
office.     The  fellow  did  not  even  kick. 

We  dumped  him  in  a  chair  and  turned  on  the 
lights.  Then  we  stood  off,  and  the  three  of  us 
burst  out  laughing  simultaneously.  You  never  saw 
a  more  comical  sight  than  the  expression  of  that  poor 
bloodhound  who  suddenly  found  himself  treed  by 
his  quarry  I  I  now  had  no  further  use  for  the  two 
men,  so  I  tipped  them  and  they  left  us.  I  locked 
the  door  after  them  and  put  the  key  in  my  pocket. 
I  told  my  prisoner  he  might  unfasten  his  gag,  and  I 
sat  down  at  my  desk  facing  him.  On  the  desk  I 
prominently  displayed  a  wicked-looking  automatic. 


Thieves'  Wit 


i8i 


\ 


\ 


I  had  no  idea  of  using  it,  but  it  made  a  potent  argu- 
n^ent. 

Having  laughed  at  the  man  I  felt  almost  friendly 
towards  him.     I  offered  him  a  cigar. 

He  ignored  it,  and  I  put  it  away.  "What  do  you 
mean  by  this  outrage  I"  he  demanded. 

I  laughed  afresh.  "Come  off.  Jack  I"  I  said. 
"You  must  think  I'm  a  downy  chick." 

At  that  he  climbed  down,  and  asked  for  the  cigar 
quite  humbly.  "What  do  you  want  of  me?"  he 
ii'.uttered. 

"Just  a  little  heart  to  heart  talk,"  I  said  grinning. 

"You  can't  make  me  talk,"  he  growled. 

I  played  with  the  revolver.  "There's  not  a  soul 
in  the  building  but  ourselves,"  I  said  offhand. 

The  janitor  lived  on  the  top  floor,  1 1  supposed 
he  didn't  know  that. 

..  ^!  7'^*'*'  '■'^''*  ^°'^'  ^^  ^^^  no  nerve  at  all. 
"I  ain't  got  nothin'  against  you  personally,"  he 
whined.  "I  only  got  my  living  to  make  the  same  as 
yourself." 

"Who  hired  you  to  trail  me?"  I  asked. 

"I  don't  know  what  guy's  got  it  in  for  you,"  he 
stammered.  "Honest,  I  only  got  my  orders  from 
the  office." 

"Wl      ^ffice?" 

"If  y-j  queer  me  there  I'll  lose  my  job.  I'm  a 
married  man  with  two  children." 

"I'll  tell  them  I  put  a  gun  to  your  head." 
•  Aw,  let  me  gp.    J  ^iu't  j;Qt.iu>thin'  against  you." 


I82 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  picked  up  the  gun.     "Come  across  I    Who  hired 
you." 

"The Detective  Agency,"  he  stuttered. 

He  named  one  of  the  largest  Agencies  in  town. 
Of  course,  I  didn't  know  but  what  h«  was  lying,  but 
I  meant  to  find  out  before  I  let  him  go.     I  turned 
a  threatening  scowl  on  him,  and  let  my  hand  stray 
towards  the  gun  again. 
"I  want  the  truth,"  I  said. 
He  watched  my  hand  like  one  hypnotised.     Little 
drops  of  sweat  broke  out  on  his  forehead.     "For 
God's  sake.  Mister;—!"  he  chattered.     "For  God's 
sake—!    I'm  telling  you  the  truth.     I'm  only  a 
poor  operative.     I  don't  know  who  wants  to  iret 
you!"  * 

"You'll  have  to  prove  it,"  I  said. 

"CaU  up  the  Agency,"  he  stuttered.  "They're 
open  aU  night.  My  name  is  Atterbury.  I'm  num- 
ber 68." 

The  instrument  was  at  my  hand.  I  got  the  num- 
ber, and  was  presently  answered  by  a  brash  young 
voice  demanding  to  know  what  I  wanted. 

"This  is  B.  Endcrby,"  I  said,  "of  number  —  West 
40th  Street.  Have  you  got  an  operative  working 
for  you  named  Atterbury,  number  68  on  your 
books?" 

"I  don't  know  you,"  returned  the  voice.  "We 
don't  give  any  information  over  the  phone.  Call 
around  and  let  us  look  you  over."     He  hung  up. 

This  littie  passage  made  me  downright  hot,  and 


Thieves'  Wit 


183 


I  suppose  it  showed  in  my  face  when  I  looked  at  the 
detective  again. 

'■Wh-what's  the  matter?"  he  stammered. 
They  refuse  to  identify  you." 

He  became  still  paler  and  clammier  if  that  were 
possible.  "Let  me^let  me  call  them,"  he  stam- 
mered. 

I  shoved  the  instrument  towards  him  and  waited. 
When  he  got  his  number  he  feU  all  over  himself 
trymg  to  explain.  "Who  i,  this.  Dixon?_Oh. 
Jones.  Joncs-for  God's  sake  I-this  is  Atterbury. 
Square  me  can't  you  ?  This  guy  Enderby-I  me7n 
Mr.  Lnderby  s  got  me  sewed  up  in  his  office.  He's 
got  me  covered-for  God's  sake,  square  me  I  Or 
Im  a  goner  I" 

He  shoved  the  instrument  towards  me.     I  kept 

t1^^.  r\r  "IL.^"'   '"^"'^'y   I   ^"  'taking 
w  th  laughter.     "This  is  Enderby  again,"  I  said 

X?aVo~""-     "^°^  ^°"  '•'''^  ^^  "-*-• 
oughly  scared.     "I've  got  your  name  and  number. 

to  ri  hts  "*  *'''""  *° ""'' """"  ^^'""^  8°*  y°"  *^"«* 

the??""'"   ^   "'**  ^"*'''"^-    ""^°"   '*''"*'^  h™. 

hvT*"'!''/"  ?  '^"^^'^  to  ^°^"  I  »«id.     "Good- 
bye.      And  this  time  I  did  the  hanging  up. 

1  got  up  and  unlocked  the  door.     "Get  I"  I  said 


i84 


Thieves'  Wit 


to  Mr.  Atterbury.    "If  you  take  my  advice,  old  man, 
you'll  go  into  some  other  line." 
He  made  grand  time  on  the  stairs. 

The  head  of  the  Detective  Agency  was 

Dongan,  a  well-known  and  able  man,  once  the  head 
of  the  New  York  Detective  Bureau.  He  belonged 
to  a  school  of  investigation  different  from  mine,  but 
I  respected  his  ability  and  I  knew  him  to  be  above 
reproach.  I  was  sure  in  this  situation  I  could  not 
do  better  than  go  direct  to  him.  I  called  next  morn- 
ing. 

"So  you're  in  the  same  line?"  he  said  looking  at 
my  card. 

"That  accounts  for  my  business  with  you,"  I  re- 
plied. 

"What  can  I  do  for  you?" 

"Haven't  your  people  told  you  what  happened  in 
my  office  last  night?" 

"No.     Explain  yourself." 

"We  are  in  the  same  line.  Hunting  down  crooks. 
The  supposition  is  that  we  handle  only  dean  busi- 
ness." 

"What  are  you  getting  at?"  he  demanded  scowl- 
ing. 

"I  came  to  ask  you  to  explain  why  you're  track- 
ing me  in  the  legitimate  pursuit  of  my  busines  . 
You  will  agree,  I  think,  that  it  looks  fishy." 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  it,"  he  said  crossly. 
"I  don't  know  you." 

'J  will  wait  while  you  enquire,"  J  said  mildly. 


Thieves'  Wit 


185 


He  went  into  his  outer  ofBce.  In  about  five  min- 
utM  he  returned  bringing  a  younger  man. 

17  T!"'„  T"  '""^  '°  '"'^'  *^  8°ods  on  ui. 
Enderby,  he  said  ruefully.  "It  was  a  small  job 
and  I  was  not  consulted." 

"Our  client  never  told  us  you  were  a  detective," 
said  the  other  man. 

"I  wiU  make  the  excuses,"   said  his  employer 

i7\  ^  ."T^*  ^^^  '"»"  ^^°  "B>8««J  "»  to  trail 
Mr.  Enderby." 

"Gave  his  name  as  Lawlor.  Fleshy  man  about 
forty-five  years  old.  Red  face,  big  black  or  dark 
brown  moustache.  Wears  a  cutaway  coat  and  silk 
hat,  very  active  in  his  movements." 

"Has  unusually  large  feet,"  I  added,  "which  he 
slaps  down  in  a  peculiar  way  when  he  walks." 

..J'^1''^'   ^^^"   "''^   ****   y°""8   ">»".    surprised. 
You  know  him?" 

..  JJ^°*  1°.  ""^^  "  ^  '^°"'''  ''"^^  ^°'"  I  »a'd  dryly. 
What  address  did  he  give  you?" 

"We  haven't  got  his  address?" 
"Where  were  your  reports  to  be  sent?" 
The  young  man  consulted  a  card.     "Box  220. 
Station  W,  New  York." 

JWell,    that's    something,"    I    said,    and    rose. 
When  you  report  to  him  please  don't  mention  that 
1  ve  been  in." 

"There  will  be  no  more  reports,"  said  Dongan 
shortly.     "We'll  return  his  money." 

"If  you  want  to  make  up  to  me  for  the  trouble 
you  ve  put  me  to,  make  him  one  more  report,"  I 


i86 


Thieves'  Wit 


•uggesited.     "Simply  tell  him  that  upon  learning  that 
I  wai  a  detective,  Mr.  Dongan  directed  that  the 
buaineit  be  refused." 
"I  will  do  that,"  Dongan  said. 
"When  would  you  ordinarily  report  to  him?"  I 
asked. 

"This  morning,"  the  young  man  replied  I 
guessed  from  his  foolish  expression  that  a  lurid  ac- 
count of  the  last  night's  proceedings  had  already 
been  written. 

"Goodl"  I  said.     "WiU  you  please  send  it  right 
off?    I  want  to  watch  the  letter  box." 
Dongan  agreed. 

I  hastened  to  Oscar  Nilson's  shop.  An  hour  or 
so  later  I  issued  from  under  his  hands,  as  perfect 
a  specimen  of  the  snuffy  old  man,  the  shabby  genteel, 
as  you  could  have  found  in  any  public  reading-room 
from  Chatham  Square  to  Cooper  Union.  Oscar  is 
a  wonder. 

By  noon  I  was  at  Station  W,  which  is  away  up- 
town on  Columbus  avenue.  Peeping  through  the 
glass  front  of  Box  229  I  saw  that  the  letter  from 
Dongan  had  not  yet  arrived,  at  least  the  box  was 
empty.     A  little  while  later  I  had  the  satisfaction  of 

seeing  the  letter  with  the  Detective  Agency 

imprint  on  the  corner  shoot  into  the  box. 

For  a  weary  two  hours  thereafter  I  made  believe 
to  amuse  myself  with  the  store  windows  of  the  block, 
up  and  down,  both  sides.  Since  I  was  the  very  pic- 
ture of  a  harmless  old  loafer,  my  movements  at- 
tracted no  notice. 


Thieves'  Wit 


187 


At  last  he  hove  in  vie*  on  foot.    There  wai  n„ 
danger  of  overlooking  thi.  „,,„  in  .  c"  J"    1 

m      r"'''  '^^  !*'°**  "'"y-    "«  "">«  dip- 
ping down  the  street  with  hi.  vast  cutaway  spread 

With  a  shape  and  peculiarities  so  marked  a  crook 

Tzz'',i  '"""^ ''''" '°  ""p  out  :;'thc  t"?;: 

wasft  l?oV»r'  "1  "^r"  '  «°°**  °'«-  There 
7Zf!.u  "  '"°'' '"  '••'  appearance.  His  fat. 
rosy  fact  bore  an  expression  of  good  will  to  aU  men 

len^'-'T^"""."'  '^'  P°"-°ffi«  ^^  th^  open 
letter  m  hu,  hand,  and  looking  not     .  ie  so  go^. 

natured.  He  started  North  again.  stiU  on  fo^. 
Walking  at  that  rate  it  was  impossible  for  an  a^ 
parently  decrepit  old  man  to  keep  up  his  characteV 
so  I  was  presently  obliged  to  get  on  a  car.    It  wa^ 

w"  r "  7ri  ^  '°"i**  ''"P  "  *  °f ''™  for  ^«veral 
blocks     Indeed,  with  the  stops,  we  travelled  very 

1  got  off  and  let  him  overtake  me. 
He  turned  West  on  One  Hundredth  street  and 

long  row.  When  I  came  abreast  of  the  stoop  t  „w 
fr/l  u''""''"^"'  '''"'''"K  •»"  f"  fingers  in  one  of 
fjai^ron"-     ^"^^^^^^PO'iti-oftheb^x 

to  ^Z?i^  P««ntly,  I  saw  that  the  box  belonged 

Winers  T;  '*\^'  """"  "P°"'»  ^"  R- 
Wmters.     I  do  not,  however,  mean  to  tux  your  brain 

with  anymore  of  Fatty's  innumerable  ali, Js.     From 


i88 


Thieves'  Wit 


one  of  the  report*  I  learned  that  hit  nickname  was 
"Jumbo."     Hereafter  I  thaU  call  him  that. 

I  loafed  up  and  down  the  street  debating  my  next 
move.  It  is  a  crowded  street  and  I  was  not  con- 
spicuous. Many  an  old  dodderer  walks  up  and 
down  watching  the  children's  games  with  a  vague 
glance.  I  was  very  keen  to  have  a  look  at  the  inside 
of  Apartment  14.  Thinking  of  Irma  and  Roland 
and  the  necessity  of  accomplishing  something  quickly, 
I  am  afraid  I  was  not  content  to  act  with  the  caution 
that  Mr.  Dunsany  and  I  had  agreed  was  necessary. 
The  most  obvious  suggestion  was  to  send  Jumbo  a 
fake  telegram,  calling  him  out.  But  in  that  case, 
when  he  discovered  the  sell  he  would  know  that  I 
was  on  to  him.  I  wanted  to  be  sure  of  a  case  against 
him  first. 

While  I  was  still  pondering  the  matter,  Jumbo 
issued  forth  again  accompanied  this  time  by  a  woman 
of  his  own  age  and  type  who  might  have  been  his 
wife.  From  the  style  of  her  dress  I  judged  that 
they  were  off  on  an  expedition,  and  my  heart  beat 
high.  I  made  sure  that  they  were  really  leaving  thw 
neighbourhood,  by  seeing  them  on  an  Amsterdam 
avenue  car  bound  down-town. 
^  Returning,  I  rang  the  bell  in  the  vestibule  sevi  ral 
times  to  make  sure  there  was  no  one  else  at  home. 
The  latch  never  clicked.  I  took  advantage  of  some 
one's  coming  out  to  enter,  and  climbed  the  stairs 
until  I  came  to  the  door  marked  14.  I  knocked 
without  receiving  any  answer.  The  doors  of  these 
flats  are  childishly  easy  to  open  unless  the  tenant 


Thieves'  Wit 


189 


put*  on  a  special  lock.  In  thit  case  it  had  not  been 
done.  A  calling  card  properly  manipulated  did  the 
trick.    I  found  myielf  iniide. 

I  shall  not  go  into  a  lengthy  description  of  the 
place  because  there  was  nothing  to  describe.  It  was 
an  ordinary  flat  of  four  small  rooms,  and  from  the 
look  of  It  might  have  been  outfitted  complete  by  an 
instalhnent  house.  Th.  -.  was  nothing  to  suggest 
the  taste  of  the  owners,  at  least  not  until  you  came 
to  the  kitchfn.  Here  there  was  an  immense  ice 
chest  crammed  with  the  choicest  and  most  expensive 
eatables  and  drinkables.  That  w  »  where  their 
hearts  lay  I  There  was  also  a  gi  .t  store  of  fine 
liquors  and  cigars. 

One  bit  of  evidence  rewarded  my  search,  and  >nly 
one.  There  were  no  letters,  no  papers,  not  a  if  ip 
of  wnting  of  any  kind,  except  two  lines  on  a  piece  of 
paper  which  I  found  under  the  blotting-pad  of  the 
cheap  little  desk  by  the  sitting-room  window.  It 
had  evidently  slipped  under  and  had  been  forgotten. 
A  clever  crook,  of  course,  is  no  cleverer  than  an 
honest  man.  He  is  sure  to  make  a  little  slip  some- 
where. In  the  two  lines  of  writing  I  once  more  be- 
held  the  famous  cryptogram.  I  pocketed  it  in  high 
satisfaction. 

I  had  got  as  far  in  my  search  as  the  imitation 
Japanese  vases  on  the  mantel-piece.  I  was  peeping 
inside  one  of  them  when  I  heard  a  slight  sound 
behind  me.  I  turned  around  and  beheld  Jumbo 
sweUmg  and  purpling  with  silent  rage  in  the  door- 
way.    I  confess  I  was  a  good  deal  shaken  by  the  ap- 


190 


Thieves'  Wit 


pariticn,  though  I  managed  to  put  down  the  vase 
with  a  good  appearance  of  composure.  He  had 
stolen  in  as  noiselessly  as  a  cat.  No  matter  how 
clear  one's  conscience  may  be,  one  is  taken  at  a  dis- 
advantage discovered  in  the  posture  of  a  burglar. 

For  a  while  we  looked  at  each  other  in  silence.  I 
cautiously  reassured  myself  that  my  gun  was  safe  in 
my  pocket.  I  saw  that  Jumbo  was  making  a  tre- 
mendous effort  to  hold  himself  in,  and  I  realised 
that  he  had  more  to  fear  from  a  showdown  than  I 
had.  I  began  to  breathe  more  easily.  I  had  taken 
off  my  hat  for  coolness,  and  the  wig  was  sewn  inside 
the  band.  He  obviously  knew  me.  Perhaps  it  was 
as  well  for  me.  If  he  had  supposed  me  an  ordinary 
sneak  thief  he  might  have  struck  me  down  from  be- 
hind with  a  blow  of  that  mighty  fist. 

He  began  to  swear  at  me  thickly  and  softly.  I 
remember  wondering  if  he  were  going  to  have  an 
apoplectic  seizure,  and  hoping  he  wouldn't  because 
it  would  spoil  my  case. 

"I  have  you  covered  from  my  pocket,"  I  warned 
him,  in  case  his  feelings  got  the  better  of  his  judg- 
ment. 

"Yah  I  I'm  not  going  to  touch  you  I"  he  snarled. 
"I  don't  have  to." 

He  got  his  rage  under  partial  control.  "Go  ahead 
and  finish  looking,"  he  said  with  a  grim  sort  of  hu- 
mour. 

"I  have  finished,"  I  said. 

"Well,  what  did  you  find?" 

"Nothing." 


Thieves'  Wit  191 

"You're  dead  right  you  didn't  find  nothing,"  he 
triumphantly  retorted,  "because  there  ain't  nothing 
to  find  I  I'm  straight,  I  ami  I  don't  fear  nobody. 
I  don  t  know  what  you  think  you're  after,  but  I'll 
tell  you  this,  I'm  sick  of  this  spying  business  I  I 
J*™  yo"  to  drop  it,  or  I'll  crush  you  as  I  would  a 
fly  I  Who  are  you,  you— amateur  I  I  know  all 
about  you.  You  ain't  got  nothin'  behind  you. 
You  re  a  four-flusher,  a  cheap  skate  I  Keep  away 
from  me  or  I'll  make  you  sorry  you  set  up  to  be  a 
sleuth!" 

AU  this  had  quite  the  opposite  effect  of  what  was 
intended.  As  soon  as  Jumbo  began  to  brag  and 
blow,  something  told  me  he  was  not  in  the  least  to 
be  feared.  However,  for  my  own  purposes,  I  as- 
sumed an  air  of  confusion,  and  looked  longingly 
toward  the  door  behind  him.  He  was  not  at  aU 
anxious  to  detain  me.  He  circled  away  from  the 
door,  keeping  his  front  carefully  turned  towards  me. 
I  m  turn  backed  out  of  the  door,  and  he  slammed 
It  shut 

As  soon  as  I  got  home  I  made  haste  to  translate 
my  find.  It  proved  to  me  even  more  important  than 
1  had  hoped, 

"Received  of  Jumbo  six  thousand  cash,  three  thou- 
sand stock  as  my  share  of  the  blue  pearis, 

"Evan." 

I  aUowed  myself  a  little  feeling  of  triumph.  You 
will  remember  I  had  learned  that  Kenton  MU- 


192 


Thieves'  Wit 


bourne's  name  was  Evan  Whittlesey.  As  for  the 
mention  of  blue  pearls,  there  were  no  others  but 
Irma's  in  the  world.  This  amounted  to  real  prima 
facie  evidence  then,  the  first  bit  I  had  secured. 

Would  they  find  out  that  it  was  in  my  possession? 
It  must  have  been  temporarily  mislaid,  they  were 
in  all  other  things  so  careful.  After  my  visit  per- 
haps Jumbo  would  begin  to  think  back.  I  was  not 
left  long  in  doubt  as  to  the  matter.  They  struck 
»t  me  with  a  boldness  and  skill  I  was  little  prepared 
for. 


19 

Report  of  J.  M.     #9 

T  June  25/A. 

O-DAY  as  I  came  out  of  the  work-people'»  en- 
trance  to  Dunsany's  at  noon  Jumbo  passed  by 
on  the  sidewalk.  He  tipped  me  a  scarcely  percep- 
tible wink,  and  kept  on,  as  I  was  with  my  fellow- 
workmen.  I  suppose  that  he  wished  to  catch  me 
in  the  act,  so  to  speak.  In  other  words  he  wants  to 
have  it  understood  between  us  that  he  knows  I  work 
there.  It  is  a  step  towards  more  confidential  com- 
munications. 

We  met  as  usual  to-night  at  the  Turtle  Bay  Cafe, 
but  something  had  happened  in  the  meantime,  be- 
cause Jumbo  was  glum  and  sour.  I  made  believe 
not  to  notice  it.  After  he  had  a  drink  or  two  he 
volunteered  the  reason. 

"A  fellow  broke  into  my  rooms  to-day,  a  sneak 
thief,"  he  said. 

''No  I    What  did  you  do  to  him  ?"  said  I. 

"Oh,  I  half  killed  him  and  let  hun  go.  He  didn't 
get  anything." 

This  was  obviously  no  explanation  of  his  wor- 
ried air.  I  continued  to  question  him  about  the 
affair  with  a  friend's  natural  curiosity,  but  he  sud- 
denly  became  suspicious,  so  I  let  it  drop.  I  do 
not  know  if  this  has  anything  to  do  with  your 
'93 


194 


Thieves'  Wit 


other  activities,  but  I  g^ve  it  for  what  it's  worth. 

Later  in  the  evening  when  Jumbo's  good-humour 
was  somewhat  restored,  he  referred  to  our  noon 
meeting  in  a  facetious  way. 

"Thought  you  said  you  were  out  of  a  job,"  he 
said: 

I  made  believe  to  be  somewhat  confused.  "Ahh, 
I  wasn't  going  ij  tell  everything  I  knew  to  a 
stranger,"  I  said. 

He  made  haste  to  commend  me.  He  affected  a 
certain  admiration  of  my  astuteness.  "You're  a 
deep  one,  English  I  I  bet  you  could  teach  me  a  trick 
or  two  I" 

Have  I  mentioned  that  "English"  is  becoming  my 
nionaker? 

By  this  time  it  is  thoroughly  understood  between 
Jumbo  and  I  that  we  are  both  "good  sports,"  i.  e., 
dependably  crooked.  It  saves  a  lot  of  bluffing  on 
both  sides. 

Jumbo  adced  me  what  my  job  was  at  Dunsany's. 
I  explained  how  I  handled  all  the  stuff  that  was  sent 
in  to  be  reset,  my  particular  job  being  to  remove  the 
jewels  from  their  old  settings  before  handing  them 
on  to  the  expert  craftsmen. 

"What  a  chance  I"  said  Jumbo  wistfully.  'But  I 
suppose  they  have  you  watched." 

"Oh,  yes,"  I  said,  and  I  went  on  to  explain  all 
the  f  'ecautions  against  theft  and  loss,  "but,  of 
course — i — "  Here  I  made  believe  to  be  overtaken 
by  caution. 


Thieves'  Wit 


195 


Jumbo's  little  eyes  glistened.  "Of  course  what?" 
he  demanded. 

I  tried  to  turn  the  subject  which  only  increased  his 
eagerness.     He  kept  after  me. 

"If  a  man  knew  the  trick  of  making  paste  dia- 
monds," I  suggested,  "and  could  substitute  one  oc- 
casionally  !    Of  course  he'd  have  to  make  them 

himself.    It  wouldn't  be  safe  to  buy  them." 

Jumbo  whistled  softly.  "Can  you  make  them?" 
he  asked. 

I  confessed  that  I  could. 

"But  wouldn't  the  fellows  get  on  to  you,  I  mean 
the  experts  you  hand  the  jewels  on  to?" 

As  I  have  already  cold  you.  Jumbo  knows  next  to 
nothmg  about  diamonds,  so  I  felt  safe  enough  m 
my  romancing.  "Not  likely,"  I  said.  "The  paste 
jewels  are  first  rate  imitations  at  first.  It's  only 
after  a  while  that  they  lose  their  lustre.  Of  course 
if  I  was  found  out,  I'd  pass  the  buck  to  the  fellow 
who  gave  them  to  me.  After  the  new  work  is  re- 
turned to  the  customer  there's  no  danger  until  the 
work  has  to  be  cleaned  or  repaired." 

"How  could  a  feUow  keep  all  the  different  sizes 
..nd  cuttings  handy  in  his  pocket?"  Jumbo  asked. 

"In  his  pocket  I"  I  said  scornfully.  "He'd  be 
•potted  the  first  day!  You  make  the  job  last  over 
mght,  see  ?  Weigh,  measure  and  test  the  stone  you 
want,  and  bring  the  phony  stone  to  match  it  next 
monung." 

Jumbo  was  breathing  hard  in  his  excitement.  I 
suppose  he  saw  an  endless  vista  of  profits,  the  risk 


196 


Thieves'  Wit 


all  mine.  "But  ain't  the  stones  all  cut  different?", 
he  asked. 

"Say,  you  want  to  know  as  much  as  I  do,"  I  said 
sarcastically. 

He  fawned  on  me.  "You're  dead  right,  'boe. 
That'f  your  private  affair." 

After  we  had  another  drink  or  two  I  madr  be- 
lieve to  drop  my  guard  completely.  I  left  out  the 
ifs  and  the  coulds  and  admitted  that  my  game  at 
Dunsany's  was  as  I  had  described  it.  To  prove  it 
I  brought  out  a  couple  of  beautiful  unset  diamonds, 
which  completed  the  Conquest  of  Jumbo. 

"It's  a  cinch  I  a  cinch  I"  he  cried.  "A  couple  of 
good  men  could  make  fifty  thousand  a  year  easy  and 
safe.  Fifty  thousand  after  the  commission  was 
taken  out." 

"What  commission?"  I  demanded. 

"Thirty-three  and  a  third  per  cent  to  them  that 
disposes  of  the  stones,"  said  Jumbo  evasively. 

I  thought  it  wiser  not  to  question  Jumbo  any  far- 
ther in  that  direction  at  present. 

Jumbo  went  on  enthusiastically.  "You  and  me'll 
be  pardners  I  This  is  our  little  private  graft.  We 
won't  let  anybody  else  in,  see?  You  on  the  inside, 
me  out,  we  were  made  for  each  other  1" 

The  coyer  I  made  out  to  be,  the  more  friendly 
was  Jumbo. 

Finally,  coming  down  to  practical  matters,  he 
asked  me  what  the  stones  were  w'>rth.  I  told  him 
the  market  value. 

"Of  course  I  can't  get  anything  like  near  that," 


Thieves*  Wit 


197 


I'll 


he  said.     "But  I'll  make  the  best  dicker  I  can 
let  you  know  before  I  doie  with  them." 

After  tome  more  persuasion  I  finally  handed  over 
the  stones.  I  knew  he  wouldn't  play  me  false  as 
long  as  he  thought  there  were  larger  gains  in  pros- 
pect. 

We  haggled  for  an  hour  over  the  division  of  the 
profits.  I  passionately  refused  to  consider  fifty- 
fifty,  since  the  work  and  the  risk  were  all  mine. 
Half  a  dozen  times  the  budding  partnership  seemed 
about  to  end.  We  finally  agreed  on  sixty  and  forty. 
By  holding  out  as  I  did,  I  believe  I  have  lulled  Jum- 
bo's suspicions  forever. 

The  compact  was  cemented  with  a  drink. 
We  talked  on  about  diamonds,  and  I  saw  a  new 
idea  form  and  grow  in  Jumbo's  little  swimming  eyes. 
Studying  me  speculatively,  he  put  me  throu^  a 
lengthy  cross-examination  concerning  my  knowledge 
of  precious  stones. 

"You're  one  of  these  here  experts  yourself,  ain't 
you?"  he  said  at  last. 

I  modestly  accepted  the  designation. 
"What  did  you  leave  England  for?"  he  asked  sud- 
denly. 

"What's  past  is  past,"  I  said  scowling. 

"Sure,"  he  said  hastily.  "I  don't  want  to  pry  into 
your  affairs." 

He  changed  the  subject,  but  I  could  see  him  still 
chewing  over  the  same  idea,  whatever  it  was. 

We  were  sitting  as  usual  at  one  of  the  little  tables 
down  the  side  of  the  bar-room.     Jumbo  excused 


198 


Thieves'  Wit 


hinuelf  for  •  few  minutet.  When  he  came  back  he 
talked  about  one  thing  and  another,  but  it  was  mani- 
festly  to  gain  time.  He  glanced  at  the  door  from 
time  to  time.     I  wondered  what  was  saving  for  me. 

At  about  ten  o'clock,  a  man  came  into  the  place 
alone,  and  went  to  the  bar  without,  apparently, 
looking  at  ui. 

"Why  there's  Foxy!"  cried  Jumbo  in  great  sur- 
prise. 

He  hailed  his  friend,  and  had  him  join  us  at  our 
table.  They  overdid  the  casual  meeting  a  little.  I 
began  to  suspect  that  Jumbo  had  telephoned  this  man 
to  come  and  join  us,  and  I  waited  with  no  little 
curiosity  to  see  what  would  come  of  it. 

The  newcomer  was  a  man  of  Jumbo's  age,  but 
looking  much  younger  because  he  was  slender  and 
well  built.  He  was  one  of  the  plainest  men  I  have 
ever  seen  but  not  in  the  sense  of  being  repulsive, 
just  plain.  He  was  a  blonde  with  ashy,  colourless 
hair,  and  features  of  the  "hatchet"  type,  that  is  to 
say  sharp  nose,  narrow,  retreating  forehead,  with 
the  hair  beginning  some  distance  back.  "Foxy" 
didn't  seem  to  fit  him  very  well,  because  he  looked 
heavy-witted,  stupid,  but  perhaps  he  can  be  sharp 
enough  when  he  wants.  He  had  a  dull,  verbose 
st]^e  of  talk,  and  a  conceited  air  like  a  third-rate 
actor. 

Jumbo  informed  me  with  a  scarcely  concealed  leer 
that  Foxy  was  a  "good  fellow,"  in  other  words  a 
crook  like  ourselves.  Verily,  words  come  to  strangq 
passes  I 


Thieves*  Wit 


199 


Preiently  we  got  to  talking  about  diamonds  again, 
and  Jumbo  in  hit  cliaracter  of  the  broker,  exhibited 
the  two  he  had  just  obtained  from  me.  He  did  not, 
however,  in  my  hearing  »ay  where  he  had  got  them. 
A  look  at  me  was  a  sufficient  hint  to  say  nothing 
about  our  compact.  Presently  I  began  to  realise 
that  Foxy  in  his  heavier  way  was  putting  me  through 
a  sharper  examination  than  Jumbo's.  My  opinion 
of  hatchet-face's  cleverness  went  up  several  points. 

This  man  exhibited  a  considerable  theoretical 
knowledge  of  diamonds  a  i  of  one  who  might  have 
read  up  on  the  subject.  For  instance  he  knew  the 
characteristics,  the  weight  and  the  ownership  of  the 
world-famous  stones.  He  had,  however,  nothing  of 
the  eye-to-eye  knowledge  of  the  experienced  jeweller. 

I  apparently  passed  his  examination  satisfactorily. 
He  glanced  at  Jumbo  in  a  meaning  way,  and  the  lat- 
ter said : 

"Look  ahere,  English,  you  ought  to  be  able  to 
make  a  good  thing  on  the  side  by  appraising  dia- 
monds." 

My  heart  jumped  at  the  possibilities  this  opened 
up.  Was  I  about  to  land  the  job  of  diamond  expert 
to  the  gang?  "The  profession's  overcrowded,"  I 
said  carelessly. 

"I  could  put  you  in  the  way  of  a  job  occasion- 
ally," said  Jumbo.  "Some  fellows  Foxy  and  me 
knows  would  be  glad  to  pay  for  a  little  advice  about 
buying  and  selling  stones." 

I  began  to  hope  that  the  end  of  our  labours  might 
be  in  sight.    The  next  question  dashed  me  a  little.- 


aoo 


Thieves'  Wit 


"Have  you  ever  heard  of  Mn.  ?*' 

Foxy  atked.* 

Of  course  I  had,  she  is  one  of  my  best  customers. 
I  shook  my  head. 

He  gave  me  some  details  of  her  history  which 
would  hav  astonished  Cora  — i —  could  she  have 
heard  them.  "She  has  a  fine  string  of  sparklers," 
he  remarked  in  conclusion. 

"Has  she?"  I  said  innocently.  I  had  sold  them 
to  her. 

"She's  at  Newport  now,"  said  Foxy  casually. 

"Hell  I  what's  the'use  of  beating  round  the  bush  I" 
said  Jumbo  in  his  hearty  way.  "Ain't  we  all  friends 
together?  It's  worth  a  nice  little  sum  to  you,  Eng- 
lish, if  you  can  find  out  and  report  if  it's  the  genu- 
ine stones  that  she  wears  around  town  up  there." 

"But  I  can't  leave  my  job,"  I  objected. 

"Sure,  he  can't  leave  his  job,"  said  Jumbo  at  once. 

"He  can  go  up  on  Saturday  night's  boat,  and  come 
back  Sunday,  can't  he?"  said  Foxy. 

The  matter  was  so  arranged.     I  suppose  I  am  in 

for  it  next  Saturday.    Will  you  see  that  Mrs. 

is  warned  in  some  manner? 

In  the  meantime  I  am  to  be  taken  to  see  the 
"friends"  that  buy  and  sell  diamonds.  Here's  hop- 
ing that  this  may  prove  to  be  the  grand  headquar- 
ters of  the  gang. 

When  we  left  the  place.  Jumbo  excusing  himself, 
pulled  Foxy  aside,  and  held  a  brief,  whispered  con- 

*He  umed  one  of  the  moM  prominent  lodety  women  in  New 
York^B.  E. 


Thieves'  Wit  201 

•ultitJon  with  him,  which  boded  iU  for  lomebody 
Their  facet  were  distorted  with  anger.  Foxy  took 
the  weit-buuiid  croti-town  car,  and  we  walked  over 
to  the  lubway. 

Jumbo  anxioui,  I  .uppote,  to  make  me  feel  that 
I  had  not  been  left  out  of  anything,  Mid :  "Me  and 
Frank  had  a  little  trouble  to^ay.  There',  a  buU 
poking  his  note  into  our  private  buiineu." 

Hoping  to  hear  more,  I  heartily  joined  with  him 

in  roniigning  the  whole  race  of  "buU."  to  perdition. 

Oh,  this  1.  only  an  amateurJike,"  .aid  Jumbo. 

He  .running  a  little  private  graft  of  hi.  own.    He 

ain  t  dangerous.     Me  and  Foxy',  got  it  fixed  to 

trim  hun  nicely." 

Thi.  was  all  I  could  get.    I  mention  it,  thinking 
that  It  may  be  of  interest  to  you. 

I  suppose  if  either  of  my  worthy  friends  ever  sus- 
pected that  I  was  not  a  "good  feUow,"  my  life  would 
not  be  worth  a  jacknitraw.  The  same  menace  lurks 
Dehmd  Jumbo  .  swimming  pig-eyes,  and  Foxy's  dull 
ones.  But  I  am  enjoying  the  spice  of  danger.  The 
only  thuig  that  irks  me  are  the  tiresome  hours  at 
my  work  bench  in  Dunsany's.  I'll  be  glad  when  ^he 
game  becomes  livelier.     This  is  life  I 

J.  M. 

Report  of  A.  N. 

V   »,fii.  Juneisth. 

K.  Milboume  came  out  of  his  boarding-house  at 
9:20  to-night.  Walked  East  to  Seventh  avenue, 
Worth  on  Seventh  to  Fifty-eighth  street,  and  East 


aoa 


Thieves*  Wit 


to  •  retort  near  Third  Avenue  called  "Under  the 
Greenwood  Tree."  This  it  a  taloon  and  rettaurant 
with  a  large  open  air  garden  in  the  rear  where  a 
band  playt. 

I  waited  outiide  upwarda  of  an  hour,  llien  I 
went  in  to  tee  if  I  had  my  man  lafe.  I  found  there 
wat  <  back  entrance  from  the  garden  out  to  Fifty- 
ninth  street,  and  he  wai  gone.  I'm  lorry,  but  "ac- 
cidentt  will  happen  I"  I  returned  to  the  boarding- 
houte.  Milboume  came  home  at  1 1 :35,  and  judg- 
ing from  the  light  in  hit  room,  went  directly  to  bed. 


A.N. 


ir.**""^  "^"^  ""'•"*'  "«  •"  the  first  mail,  I 
called  up  Sadie  for  the  purpce  of  teUing  her  to 
have  the  operative  A.  N.  tr.„,ferred  to  .ome  other 
u      V>i-.u       *^  ol'viously  outlived  his  usefulnew 
where  Mdhoume  was  concerned.     This  was  the  day 
allowing  my  encounter  with  Jumbo  in  his  flat 
Keenan  answered  the  phone.    He  said  Sadie  had 
just  gone  out  after  reading  her  mail.     She  had  told 
him  she  didn  t  know  how  long  she  would  be.    We 
did  not  take  Keenan  venr  far  into  our  confident 
He  knew  he  was  not  clever,  poor  fellow,  and  -liU 
not  mind  his  exclusion. 

His  word  made  me  vaguely  uneasy,  for  I  knew  of 
nothing  to  take  Sadie  out  thai  morning,  and  Till 
very  scrupulous  about  letting  me  know  before  em- 
barking  on  anything  new.  However,  there  was 
nothing  to  do  until  I  heard  from  her, 

I  plunged  into  the  work  awaiting  me.  That  was 
considerable.  I  am  only  giving  you  an  occasional^" 
port  or  part  of  a  report  which  help,  on  the  story  a 

obliged  to  follow  that  never  returned  us  anyd^ini 
P^rtTli^etast.^''""""-^"^-^^-^-^^ 

At  noon  I  caUed  the  other  office  again.    Sadie  had 
ao3 


204 


Thieves*  Wit 


not  come  !n,  said  Keenan,  nor  had  she  sent  any  word. 
I  was  downright  anxious  by  this  time.  Sadie  must 
know  that  I  would  call  her  up,  I  told  myself.  Surely 
she  would  never  stay  away  so  long  without  sending 
in  word,  unless  she  were  prevented.  I  called  up 
her  sister  with  whom  she  lived.  They  had  not 
heard  from  her  there  since  she  had  left  as  usual  that 
morning. 

I  spent  a  horrible  afternoon,  condemned  to  in- 
action, while  my  brain  busied  itself  suggesting  all  the 
dreadful  things  that  might  have  happened.  Curi- 
ously  enough  I  thought  only  of  the  ordinary  acci- 
dents of  the  strfcets.  The  truth  never  occurred 
to  me. 

The  blow  descended  about  half-past  four.  Ter- 
rible as  it  was  it  was  like  relief  to  hear  anything.  It 
came  in  the  form  of  a  special  delivery  letter,  mailed 
as  in  irony  from  Station  W.  Within  were  two  lines 
more  of  that  damned  cryptogram,  thus: 

SP  JAH  FUXLJG  QCXQ  WYE  DFB&U  OWK- 
MZM&YW  SY  EUS  UYHJL  FVDH  QMWZCDBK 
QBC  OYFG  YB  UOWX. 

Meaning: 

"If  you  return  what  you  stole  yesterday  in  the 
first  mail  to-morrow  all  will  be  well." 

On  the  back  of  the  paper  was  written  another 
message : 

"They  have  got  me,  Ben.    Save  me  I" 

This  went  to  my  breast  like  a  knife.  It  was  un- 
questionably Sadie's  handwriting.    The  wild  words 


Thieves'  Wit  205 

were  so  unlike  my  clever  self<ontained  girl  it  broke 
me  aU  up.  For  a  while  I  could  not  think,  could  not 
plan.  I  could  only  reproach  myself  for  having  put 
one  so  dear  to  me  in  danger. 

Fortunately  for  humans,  old  habits  of  work  reas- 
sert themselves  automatically.  My  brain  screwed 
Itself  down  upon  the  hardest  problem  of  my  ca- 

.T/i;  7.^"  T  ^'"^  *''«''*"*  "»«  '"  flying  up 
to  the  flat  on  One  Hundredth  street.     There  would 

be  no  one  there.  Neither  could  I  call  on  the  police 
tor  aid  without  precipitating  the  catastrophe.  If 
Sadie  was  to  be  saved  it  must  be  by  unaided  wits. 

I  thought  of  Mr.  Dunsany  with  hope  and  grati- 
tude.    In  him  I  had  a  line  on  the  gang  they  did  not 

^^r't'T.'?-  .[^""""'^^^'^^y  "lied  up  Dunsany's 
and  asked  if  I  might  speak  to  Mattingly  in  the  jewel- 
setting  department.  It  was  a  risky  thing  to  do,  but 
I  had  no  choice.  Knowing  how  the  gang  watched 
Dunsany  s  it  would  have  been  suicidal  for  me  to  have 
gone  there  to  meet  him. 

I  finally  heard  his  voice  at  the  other  end  of  the 
wi«.^    "This  is  Enderby."  I  said.     "Do  you  gel 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "what  is  it?" 

Jt^U   ^°J'''"  '"  "''"'^  *^  possibility  of  a  curious 
switchboard  operator  m  Dunsany's  listening  on  the 

night?    I  asked  in  ordinary  tones. 
"Yes,"  he  said,  "same  as  usual." 

J'/^'^'k^'^r'  '*'''"  P'^y^*^  **  *"*  °n  me,"  I 
»a«a.       I  hey  have  copped  my  girl." 


206 


Thieves'  Wit 


"Not  Sadie  I"  he  said  aghast. 

"Yes,"  I  said.     "It's  a  deuce  of  a  note,  isn't  it?" 

He  took  the  hint,  and  his  voice  steadied.  "What 
do  you  want  me  to  do?" 

"Find  out  if  you  can  without  giving  yourself  away 
where  they  have  put  her." 

"I'll  try.     Where  can  I  meet  you?" 

"We  can't  meet.  But  watch  out  for  my  friend 
Joe  the  taxi-driver.  He  stands  outside  your  joint 
up  on  Lexington  avenue.  The  number  of  his  li- 
cence is  11018.     It's  painted  on  the  sidelamps." 

"I  get  you,"  said  Mr.  Dunsany. 

I  cannot  give  a  very  clear  account  of  the  next 
hour  or  two.  It  was  like  a  nightmare.  I  knew  a 
young  fellow  that  drove  a  taxi  which  he  hired  from 
a  big  garage  by  the  day.  I  was  depending  on  him 
to  help  me  out.  I  had  often  employed  him.  I 
searched  him  out,  taking  suitable  precautions  against 
being  trailed.  He  agreed  to  hire  me  his  cab  for 
the  night  and  I  went  to  his  room  to  change  clothes 
with  him.  The  visored  cap  in  itself  was  a  pretty 
good  disguise.  I  had  made  an  engagement  by  tele- 
phone with  my  good  friend  Oscar  Nilson,  and  he 
fixed  me  up  so  my  own  mother  wouldn't  have  known 
me. 

In  my  anxious  eagerness  I  arrived  at  the  Turtle 
Bay  Cafe  long  before  the  hour.  None  of  the  men 
I  was  looking  for  had  arrived,  and  I  was  compelled 
to  drive  around  the  streets  for  another  half  hour 
or  more.     I  turned  down  the  little  flag  on  the  meter. 


Thieves*  Wit 


207 


to  avoid  taking  any  business.  Once  more  I  had  a 
drink  at  the  bar  without  seeing  any  of  my  men.  The 
third  time  I  returned  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  Mr.  Dun- 
sany's  face  at  one  of  the  tables,  and  I  waited  out- 
side  as  if  for  a  fare  who  had  gone  in  for  a  drink. 

After  a  while  I  could  stand  it  no  longer.  My  tor- 
turing curiosity  drove  me  inside.  I  went  to  the  bar 
taking  care  not  to  look  towards  the  alcove  where 
the  thr<-c!  sat.  I  found  I  could  see  them  in  the  mir- 
ror witiiout  turning  my  head.  Mr.  Dunsany,  or 
"English,"  as  I  shall  call  him,  and  "Foxy"  each  pre- 
sented a  side  view,  while  Jumbo,  seated  farthest 
within  the  alcove,  faced  me.  Foxy  was  Milbourne, 
as  you  have  already  guessed. 

All  the  alcoves  down  the  side  of  the  room  were 
fuUy  occupied.  Even  if  I  had  been  able  to  secure  a 
place  in  cither  of  the  adjoining  compartments,  I 
doubt  if  I  could  have  heard  any  of  my  men's  talk. 
They  had  their  heads  very  close  together.  There 
was  an  infernal  racket  in  the  place.  I  had  to  con- 
tent  myself  with  watching  Jumbo's  lips,  wishing 
vainly  that  I  might  read  them.  I  had  to  be  care- 
ful not  to  seem  to  stare,  for  at  any  moment  he  might 
raise  his  eyes  and  meet  mine  in  the  mirror.  My 
face  was  revealed  in  every  line  by  the  strong  lights 
behind  the  bar. 

As  far  as  I  could  make  out  Jumbo  and  Foxy  were 
trying  to  urge  something  on  English  to  which  he  re- 
sisted. His  reluctance  was  so  well  done  I  could  not 
decide  if  it  were  real  or  assumed.  Once  more  I  was 
compeUed  to  pay  tribute  to  my  friend  and  assistant. 


208 


Thieves'  Wit 


What  a  lucky  chance  it  was  that  had  led  me  to  him. 
He  was  a  wonder! 

The  other  two  were  an  ugly-looking  pair  at  that 
moment,  the  one  face  gross  and  mean,  the  other 
sharp  and  mean.  They  had  dropped  their  masks. 
I  wondered  now  how  I  could  have  thought  even  for 
a  moment  that  Milbourne  was  stupid.  His  long 
nose,  his  dose-set  eyes,  the  whole  eager  thrust-for- 
ward of  his  gaunt  face  suggested  the  evil  intelligence 
of  the  devil  himself.  Not  for  nothing  was  this  man 
called  Foxy. 

After  a  while  they  seemed  to  come  to  an  under- 
standing. Jumbo  sat  back  and  putting  his  hand  in 
his  pocket,  looked  around  for  the  waiter.  I  made 
a  quiet  exit  to  my  cab  outside  where  I  waited  the 
turn  of  events. 

They  must  have  had  another  drink  for  it  was  still 
some  moments  before  they  issued  from  between  the 
swinging  doors.  I  saw  English's  eyes  go  at  once  to 
the  number  on  my  side  lamps,  which  he  read  off  with 
visible  satisfaction.  He  gave  me  a  fleeting  glance  as 
I  sat  nodding  on  the  driver's  seat.  English  was 
making  out  to  show  the  effects  of  his  liquor  a  little. 
The  odier  two  were  cold  sober. 

"Say,  boys,"  said  English,  "let's  taxi  it  up;  I'll 
blow." 

I  made  believe  to  come  to  life,  hearing  that,  and 
hopping  out  touched  my  cap  and  opened  the  door. 

Foxy  frowned  and  held  back.  "What's  the  use  ?" 
he  grumbled. 

"Aw,  come  on,"  said  English.     "I  ain't  had  an 


Thieves'  Wit 


209 


His  slightly  foolish  air 


auto  ride  since  I  landed." 
was  beautifully  done. 

Neither  Jumbo  nor  Foxy  liked  the  idea,  but  they 
liked  less  calling  attention  to  themselves  by  a  dis- 
cussion  m  the  street.  So  they  all  piled  in.  Jumbo 
pve  me  a  number  on  Lexington  avenue  which  would 
be  about  half  a  mile  North  of  where  we  then  were. 
There  was  a  hole  in  the  front  glass  at  my  ear  for 
the  purpose  of  allowing  fare  to  communicate  with 
driver.  With  the  noise  of  the  engine,  however,  I 
could  hear  no  more  than  the  sound  of  their  voices 
It  seemed  to  me  that  both  Foxy  and  Jumbo  were 
admonishing  English  not  to  drink  so  much  if  he 
couldn't  carry  it  better. 

I  found  my  number  on  a  smallish  brown  stone 
dwelling  facing  the  great  sunken  railway  yards,  and 
drew  up  before  it.     It  was  one  of  a  long  row  of 
houses,  all  exactly  alike. 
As  my  fares  climbed  out,  English  said  to  Jumbo: 
Horv  long  will  we  be  in  here?" 
"Not  long,"  was  the  answer. 
"Then  wait,"  said  English  to  me.    A  glance  of 
mtelligence  passed  between  us. 

"You  must  like  to  throw  your  money  away," 
grumbled  Foxy,  as  t:.ey  mounted  the  steps. 
They  were  admitted  by  a  negro  man-servant. 
I  examined  the  surroundings  more  particularly. 
The  excavating  of  the  great  yards  opposite  has  dam- 
aged  the  neighbourhood  as  a  residential  district  and 
the  tidy  little  houses  were  somewhat  fallen  from 
their  genteel  estate.    SmaU,  cheap  shops  had  opened 


210 


Thieves'  Wit 


in  one  or  two  of  the  basements,  and  beauty  parlours, 
or  dry-cleaning  establishments  on  the  parlour  floors. 
Only  one  or  two  houses  of  the  row  retained  a  self- 
respecting  air,  and  of  these  the  house  I  waited  be- 
fore was  one.  The  stone  stoop  had  been  renovated, 
the  door  handles  were  brightly  polished,  and  the 
windows  cleaned.  Simple,  artistic  curtains  showed 
within.  In  fact  it  had  all  the  earmarks  of  the 
dwelling  of  a  well-to-do  old-fashioned  family  which 
had  refused  to  give  up  its  old  home  when  the  first 
breath  of  disfavour  ,fell  upon  the  neighbourhood. 

I  should  further  explain  that  the  houses  were 
three  story  and  basement  structures  with  mansard 
roofs  over  the  cornices.  At  the  comer  of  the  street, 
that  is  to  say  three  doors  from  where  my  cab  was 
standing,  there  was  a  new  building  four  stories  high, 
which  contained  a  brighdy  lighted  cafe  on  the  street 
level  and  rooms  above.  In  other  words  what  New 
Yorkers  call  a  Raines'  Law  Hotel. 

The  three  men  remained  inside  the  house  about 
forty-five  minutes,  I  suppose.  It  seemed  like  three 
times  that  space  to  me,  waiting.  They  appeared  at 
last,  talking  in  slightly  heightened  tones,  which  sug- 
gested that  they  had  partaken  of  spirituous  refresh- 
ment inside.  Their  talk  as  far  as  I  could  hear  it 
was  all  in  respectful  praise  of  a  lady  they  had  just 
left.  She  was  a  "good  fellow,"  a  "wise  one,"  "long- 
headed." 

At  the  cab  door  they  hesitated  a  moment  as  if  in 
doubt  of  their  next  move. 


Thieves'  Wit 


211 


"Let's  go  back  to  the 


"It*,  early,"  said  Jumbo. 
Turtle  Bay." 
The  others  agreed. 

English  let  them  get  in  first  "Back  to  the  Turtle 
Bay,"  he  said  to  me.  His  lips  added  soundlessly: 
"She  is  here  r  ' 

When  they  got  out  again,  English  paid  me  off. 
His  expressive  eyes  said  clearly  that  he  wished  to 
speak  to  me  further.  The  others  stood  close,  and 
we  dared  not  take  any  risk. 

I  thanked  him,  touching  my  cap.     "Any  time  you 
want  me,  gen'lemen,  call  up  Plaza  6771,"  I  said. 
They  went  inside. 

I  had  given  the  first  telephone  number  that  came 
into  my  head.     It  was  that  of  an  artist  friend  of 
mine  who  had  a  studio  apartment  on  Fifty-ninth 
street.    I  hastened  up  there  in  the  car,  and  routed 
him  out  of  bed.     Artists  are  used  to  these  interrup- 
tions.    I  had  a  little  difficulty,  however,  in  making 
myself  known  to  a  man  half  asleep.     He  was  decent 
about  it,  though.     He  gave  me  tobacco,  and  telling 
me  to  make  myself  comfortable,  went  back  to  bed. 
In  an  hour  or  so  the  telephone  bell  rang,  and  to 
my  joy  I  heard  English's  voice  on  the  wire. 
"This  you?"  he  said.     We  named  no  names. 
"I  get  you,"  I  said.    "Fire  away." 
He  plunged  right  into  his  story  and  though  plainly 
labouring  under  excitement,  was  admirably  clear  and 
succinct. 

"She  is  confined  in  that  house.     She  was  lured 
there  this  morning  by  a  forged  letter  from  you  in- 


212 


Thieves'  Wit 


ttructing  her  to  go  there  for  certain  evidence.  I  did 
not  see  her.  I  understood  from  their  talk  that  so 
far  she  is  all  right." 

^  "The  house  is  occupied  by  a  woman  they  call  Lo- 
rina  or  Mrs.  Mansfield.  Handsome,  blonde  woman 
of  forty ;  great  force  of  character.  She  is  a  member 
of  the  gang,  perhaps  the  leader  of  it.  Anyway,  they 
all  defer  to  her.  She  has  a  better  head  than  either 
Jumbo  or  Foxy.  I  was  taken  there  to-night  for  the 
purpose  of  having  her  size  me  up.  Apparently  she 
approved  of  me." 

"I  understood  th^t  the  girl  is  safe  until  to-morrow 
monung.  Then  they  plan" — his  voice  began  to 
shake  here — "to — to  do  away  with  her." 

"Unless  I  come  across  with  the  paper  they  want?" 
I  interrupted. 

"Whether  you  do  or  not,"  he  said  grimly.    "They 
have  no  intention  of  letting  her  go.    They  plan  to 
get  you,  too,  to-morrow." 
"How?" 

"I  don't  know.    I  was  not  consulted." 
"Go  on." 

"The — the  job  they  are  trying  to  force  on  me," 
he  faltered,  "is  to  dispose  of  her  body.  They  chose 
me  because  I  am  not  suspected  by  you,  not  followed. 
I  am  to  carry  it  out  of  the  house  piecemeal  Oh —  1 
it's  horrible  I" 

"Steady  1"  I  said.  "I  promise  you  that  won't  be 
necessary.     Any  more  particulars?" 

"Mrs.  Mansfield  lives  alone,"  he  went  on.  "She 
has  three  coloured  servants,  two  maids  and  a  man." 


Thieves'  Wit 


213 


"Did  jrou  find  out  where  they  slept?" 
"Yet.    The  two  maids  on  the  top  floor  in  the 
front  room,  the  man  somewhere  in  the  basement." 
Are  they  m  the  gang?" 

*!. "?°'  ^^^^  ^°  "°^  ^°'^  *'•"*  ^*'»»  Farrell  is  in 
the  house.  But  the  man,  I  understood,  could  be  de- 
pcndcd  on  absolutely.  Which  means  that  he  is 
ready  for  any  black  deed.  He  is  as  ugly  and  strong 
as  a  gorilla."  * 

thc'Sc  ?"''°"*  ^"^  "'''"  '"*^™"'  arrangements  of 
"On  the  first  floor  there  is  a  parlour  in  front,  din- 
ing-room and  pantry  behind.    On  the  second  floor 
the  front  room  is  a  sitting-room  or  oflice.     The 
telephone  is  here.     Mrs.  Mansfield  sleeps  in  the  rear 
room  on  this  floor.     Between  her  bedroom  and  the 
office  there  I,  an  interior  room,  and  that  is  where 
M.S,  Farrell  is  confined.    This  room  can  be  entered 
only  through  Mrs.  Mansfield's  bedroom." 
'Did  you  notice  the  lodes  on  the  doors?" 
'No.    There  was  nothing  out  of  the  common.    On 
the  front  door  a  Yale  lock  of  the  ordinary  pattern." 
Anything  moi-e?" 
"One  thing.     Mrs.  Mansfield  goes  armed.    She 
has  a  small  automatic  pistol  with  a  maxim  silencer 
which  IS  evidently  her  favourite  toy.     I  hope  I  wt 
what  you  wanted.    They  were  at  me  every  minute. 
1  could  not  look  around  much." 

''No  one  could  have  done  better  I"  I  said  heartily. 
What  do  you  want  me  to  do  now  ?" 
Where  are  you?" 


ai4 


Thieves'  Wit 


In  my  own  botrdingJiouie.  The  party  at  the 
Turtle  Bay  loon  broke  up.  The  telephone  here  it 
in  the  restaurant  in  the  batement,  and  everybody 
•leepa  upatairs."  ' 

"You  had  better  stay  at  home  until  morning,"  I 
•aid,  after  thinking  a  moment.  "It  ii  very  likely 
that  they  are  having  you  watched  to-night." 
"But  I  muit  do  something.  I  couldn't  sleep." 
"There  is  really  nothing  you  can  do  now.  Stay 
where  you  can  hear  the  telephone  and  I'll  call  you  if 
I  need  you.  I'U  caU  you  anyway  when  I  get  her  out 
»«fe.  If  you  do  not  hear  from  me  by  say,  three 
odock,  go  to  police  headquarters,  tell  them  all  the 
circumstances,  and  have  the  house  surrounded  and 
forced." 

"I  understand." 

"To-morrow  morning  if  all  goes  weU,  you  must 
go  to  work  as  usual.  I  don't  mean  that  we  shall 
lose  aU  our  work  so  far  if  I  can  help  it.  They  must 
not  subject  you." 

"Don't  take  too  big  a  chance,  Ben,  the  girl " 

"Don't  worry.  The  girl  is  worth  fifty  cases  to 
me.    But  I  mean  to  save  both." 


ai 

I    ^^"^  Jo"'  for  wme  thing.  I  needed   and 

talk  I  was  back  in  front  of  the  Lev!n<>»». 
hou.e,  .till  at  the  wheel  of  my  taxi      I  hTk  *''""' 
changed  my  clothe,  in  th7.?e.„til   VSr"; 
want  the  chauffeur',  uniform  Th^oVn  larfert 
^^«  m  any  deacription  that  might  be  circulSeS  L 

P«Ming  the  hou.e  .lowly  I  jurveved  it  fmm  „- 
menttoroof.    All  the  JndowTTel  d^T 'xhe' 

the  .e^oln  r    ^  ^'V^  ^"'-    The  first  floor  and 
the  .econd  floor  wmdow.  were  do.ed.     The  two 

rictsr^str '''-  -'''-'  --  »^--'«  - 

Turning  the  comer,  I  came  to  a  stop  outside  A^ 
aTe'r  r.°^  f  V'-n  I  have  menti^Sed     It  wt 

Seer     Thtnil     Tu'  u'  ''"''  '"  »«*  °'<^«red  I 
ro^     V  ^  """*  *''"  ''°*«'  "Ki^t"  were  in  this 

wS    ^°\"'*"''d  from  a  narrow  lobby  from 

was  -mtt  K      P""""*  "  n«»""t  when  the  waiter 
toT-i"'.^™"  *"'"''»•     In  the  lobby  I  turned 

««irfc     There  was  no  one  to  question  me. 


ai6 


Thieves'  Wit 


In  one  tide  pocket  I  carried  •  imall  but  efficient 
kit  of  tooU,  in  the  other  ■  bottle  of  chloroform  and 
a  roll  of  cotton.     My  pistol  was  in  my  hip  pocket. 

I  went  up  the  three  flights  without  meeting  any 
one,  lighted  by  a  red  fl^obe  on  each  landing.  There 
was  a  fourth  flight  ending  at  a  closed  door  which  I 
figured  must  give  on  the  roof.  It  was  bolted  on  the 
inside,  of  course,  and  I  presently  found  myself  out 
under  the  stan. 

This  building,  you  will  remember,  was  half  a 
story  higher  than  the  row  of  dwellings  which  ad- 
joined it.  It  was  therefore  a  drop  of  only  six  feet 
from  the  parapet  of  one  roof  to  the  parapet  of  the 
other.  Easy  enough  to  go;  a  little  more  difficult 
perhaps  to  return  that  way.  From  the  parapet  I 
stepped  noiselessly  to  the  roof  of  the  first  dwelling, 
and  crossed  the  two  intervening  roofs  to  the  house 
I  meant  to  enter.  I  had  nearly  two  hours  before 
Mr.  Dunsany  would  put  the  police  in  motion,  ample 
tiue,  I  judged.  Probably  the  first  few  minutes  in 
the  house  would  decide  success  or  failure. 

There  was  a  flat  scuttle  in  the  roof  which,  as  I 
expected,  was  fastened  from  within.  I  could  have 
opened  it  with  my  tools,  but  it  seemed  to  me  quicker 
and  sp*er  to  enter  by  one  of  the  windows  in  the 
mansard.  In  any  case  I  would  have  to  deal  with  the 
maids  on  that  floor,  and  it  was  likely  they  slept  be- 
hind locked  doors. 

The  cornice  made  a  wide,  flat  ledge  in  front  of 
these  windows.  It  was  a  simple  task  to  let  myself 
down  the  sloping  mansard  to  the  ledge  and  creep  to 


Thieves'  Wit 


217 


the  window.  Had  I  been  seen  from  the  pavement 
•croM  the  way  it  would  have  ruined  all,  but  the 
•treet  was  deserted  at  far  at  1  could  >ee  up  and 
down.     There  were  no  houses  opposite. 

Pausing  with  my  head  inside  the  window  I  heard 
heavy  breathing  from  the  back  of  the  room.  I  cau- 
tiously let  myself  in.  Then  I  could  distinguish  two 
breathing,  side  by  side,  and  knew  that  both  women 
were  sleeping  in  the  same  bed.  I  got  out  my  cot- 
ton  and  chloroform.  Fortunately  for  me  negroes 
are  generally  heavy  sleepers.  I  iet  each  woman 
breathe  in  the  fumes  before  the  cotton  touched  her 
face.  They  drifted  away  with  scarcely  a  movement. 
1  left  the  saturated  cotton  on  their  faces  without  any 
cone  to  retain  the  fumes.  In  this  way  they  could 
not  take  any  injury.  The  potency  of  the  drug  would 
soon  be  dissipated  in  the  atmosphere. 

It  was  a  hot  night  and  the  door  o.'  their  room 
stood  open.  I  didn't  see  until  too  late,  that  a  chair 
had  been  placed  against  the  door  to  prevent  the  draft 
from  the  window  slamming  it.  I  stumbled  over  the 
chair.  It  made  little  noise,  but  the  jar  caused  me 
to  drop  the  precious  bottle,  and  before  I  recovered 
It  the  contents  was  wasted.  This  was  a  serious  loss. 
I  crept  down  the  first  flight  of  stairs.  This 
landed  me  on  the  floor  where  the  mistress  slept.  As 
I  approached  the  door  of  her  room  a  shrill  yapping 
started  up  inside.  I  cursed  the  animal  under  my 
breath.  English  had  not  told  me  that  the  woman 
kept  a  dog.  It  made  things  twice  as  difficult.  The 
noise  sounded  through  the  house  loud  enough,  it 


2l8 


Thieves'  Wit 


seemed  to  me,  to  wake  the  dead.  I  heard  somebody 
move  inside  the  room,  and  I  hastened  down  the 
next  flight  of  stairs,  and  crouched  at  the  back  of  the 
hall  outside  the  dining-room  door. 

Ov^r  my  head  I  heard  the  bedroom  door  unlocked, 
and  presently  the  upper  hall  was  flooded  with  light. 
I  was  safely  out  of  reach  of  its  rays.  I  oiiered  up 
a  silent  prayer  that  the  lady  would  not  be  moved  to 
descend  the  stairs,  for  I  pictured  her  carrying  the 
automatic  with  the  silencer.  True,  I  had  my  own 
gun,  but  for  obvious  reasons  I  was  averse  to  firing  it. 

She  did  not  come 'down.  The  dog  apparently  was 
satisfied  that  all  was  well,  and  ceased  his  yapping. 
From  his  voice  I  judged  the  animal  to  be  a  Pomera- 
nian. Mistress  and  dog  finally  returned  to  the  bed- 
room and  the  door  was  locked  again.  With  the 
dog  and  the  lock  on  the  door  my  problem  was  no 
easy  one.  I  had  to  enter  that  way  before  I  could 
reach  my  £^rl.  She  left  the  light  burning  in  the  up- 
stairs hall. 

Before  attempting  to  deal  with  the  mistress  it 
seemed  to  me  necessary  to  dispose  of  the  negro  in 
the  basement.  I  went  on  downstairs  not  at  all  rel- 
ishing the  prospect.  There  were  swing  doors  both 
at  the  top  and  the  bottom  of  the  basement  stairs 
which  had  to  be  opened  with  infinite  caution  to  avoid 
a  squeak.  On  the  stairs  between  it  was  as  dark  as 
Erebus.  On  every  step  I  half  expected  to  find  the 
gorilla-like  creature  crouching  in  wait  for  me,  but 
when  I  finally  edged  through  the  lower  door  I  was 


Thieves'  Wit 


219 

The 


reassured  by  the  sou  tl  ot  a  ruiibling  snore, 
dog  had  not  awaken*  '1  him. 

He  slept  in  the  front  nom.  This  had  originally 
been  the  dining-room  of  the  house.  I  cautiously 
opened  the  door  and  looked  in.  A  certain  amount 
of  light  came  through  the  area  windows  from  the 
street  lamps.  The  negro's  bed  was  against  the  wall 
between  me  and  the  windows.  These  were  the  win- 
dows which  were  heavily  barred  outside. 

When  I  saw  the  bars  and  felt  the  door  which  was 
a  heavy  hardwood  affair,  and  had  a  key  in  it,  I 
thought  it  would  be  sufficient  to  lock  the  man  in. 
You  see  I  was  pretty  well  assured  that  none  of  these 
people  would  care  to  make  a  racket.  However, 
there  was  another  door  leading  to  '.he  pantry,  thence 
to  the  kitchen.  This  had  no  lock  on  it,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  find  another  means  of  confining  him. 

Exploring  the  rear  of  the  basement  I  came  across 
a  trunk  in  the  back  hall  with  a  stout  strap  around 
it.  This  I  softly  removed  and  appropriated.  Go- 
ing on  through  the  kitchen  out  into  the  yard  I  found 
stout  clothesline  stretched  from  side  to  side.  I  cut 
down  several  lengths  of  it. 

While  I  was  in  the  yard  I  made  an  important  dis- 
covery respecting  the  lay  of  the  back  of  the  house. 
The  lower  story  extended  out  some  fifteen  feet  above 
the  upper  floors.  The  mistress'  windows  therefore 
opened  on  a  flat  extension  roof.  These  windows 
were  opened  and  unbarred.  There  was  no  light 
within  the  room. 

I  returned  with  the  strap  and  the  lengths  of  rope 


220 


Thieves'  Wit 


to  the  negro's  sleeping-room.  He  was  still  snoring 
vociferously.  He  lay  on  his  back  with  his  brawny 
arms  flung  above  his  head  like  an  infant,  and  his 
great  chest  rose  like  a  billow  with  every  inhalation. 
The  bed  was  a  small  iron  on<^  with  low  head  and 
foot.  It  looked  strong,  but  I  knew  that  these  things 
were  generally  of  flimsy  construction. 

First  I  laid  my  gun  on  the  floor  where  I  could 
snatch  it  up  at  need.  Then  with  infinite  care  I 
passed  my  long  trun)i  strap  under  the  bed  and  over 
his  ankles,  and  drew  it  dose,  but  not  tight.  This 
was  intended  for  a  merely  temporary  entanglement. 
He  never  stirred.  I  made  a  noose  out  of  one  of 
the  pieces  of  rope  and  passed  it  carefully,  carefully 
over  his  two  hands.  During  this  he  began  to  stir. 
The  snores  were  interrupted.  I  passed  the  rope 
around  the  iron  bar  at  the  head  of  the  bed,  and  as 
he  came  fully  awake  I  gave  it  a  sharp  jerk  binding 
his  hands  hard  and  fast.     I  knotted  the  rope. 

I  flung  a  pillow  over  his  head,  and  sat  on  it  to  still 
any  cries  while  I  made  a  permanent  job  of  trussing 
him  up.  His  great  frame  heaved  and  plunged  on 
the  bed  in  a  paroxysm  of  brutish  terror,  finding  him- 
self bound.  You  have  seen  a  cat  with  a  rope  around 
it.  Imagine  a  mad  creature  thirty  times  the  bulk  of 
a  cat.  But  everything  held.  The  bed  rocked  and 
bounced  on  the  floor,  but  there  were  four  closed 
doors  between  me  and  the  woman  sleeping  up-stairs, 
and  I  hoped  the  sound  might  not  carry. 

It  was  all  over  in  a  moment  or  two.  The  ropes 
were  ready  to  my  hand.    Every  time  he  heaved  up 


Thieves'  Wit  221 

I  passed  a  fresh  turn  under  him.  Presendy  I  had 
him  bound  so  tight  he  could  not  move  a  muscle. 
True  to  the  character  of  his  race,  he  gave  up  the 
struggle  all  at  once  and  lay  inert.  There  was  a 
moment  in  which  he  might  have  cried  out  when  I 
changed  the  pillow  for  a  gag  made  out  of  the  sheet, 
but  by  that  time  he  was  gasping  for  breath.  I  knot- 
ted  the  gag  firmly  between  his  teeth.  Smothered 
groans  issued  from  under  it.  I  went  over  all  the 
ropes  twice  to  make  sure  nothing  could  slip.  I  ex- 
pected, of  course,  that  he  would  wriggle  out  in  the 
end,  but  I  only  needed  a  little  while. 

Before  proceeding  further  I  gave  my  stretched 
nerves  a  moment  or  two  to  relax.  The  big  task  was 
still  to  come.  Finally  I  stole  up-stairs  again.  When 
I  closed  the  doors  behind  me  I  could  no  longer  hear 
the  negro's  smothered  groans.  The  house  was  per- 
fectly quiet.  As  I  softly  crept  up  on  all  fours  stair 
to  stair  I  was  busily  debating  how  to  open  the  at- 
tack. Locked  door,  silent  gun  and  dog  made  the 
odds  heavy  against  me. 

By  the  time  I  was  half  way  up  the  main  stairway 
I  had  made  a  plan.  Rising  to  my  feet  I  mounted 
the  rest  of  the  way  with  a  firm  tread.  Instandy  the 
little  dog  inside  broke  into  a  frantic  barking.  I 
heard  his  mistress  spring  out  of  bed.  I  hastily  un- 
screwed the  electric  light  bulb,  and  throwing  a  leg 
over  the  banisters  slid  noiselessly  down  to  the  first 
floor  again.  As  before  I  sought  the  security  of  the 
back  halJ. 

She  unhesitatingly  opened  the  door— she  was  a 


222 


Thieves'  Wit 


bold  one.  I  heard  her  catch  her  breath  to  find  the 
hall  in  darkness.  Her  hand  shot  out,  I  hea-d  the 
click  of  the  switch,  but  of  course  there  was  no  light. 
Instantly  she  began  shooting.  The  light  "ping"  of 
her  weapon  had  an  inexpressibly  deadly  sound.  The 
bullets  thudded  viciously  into  wood  and  plaster. 
From  the  direction  of  the  latter  scunds,  she  was 
shooting  along  the  upper  hall  and  down  the  stairs. 

I  knew  she  had  ten  shots,  not  more,  and  I  counted 
them.  After  the  tenth,  running  forward  in  the  hall, 
I  set  up  a  horrid  groaning.  She  was  silent  above. 
I  kept  up  the  groaning,  and  threshed  about  on  the 
floor  alongside  the  stairs. 

Suddenly  she  came  running  down.  This  w&s  what 
I  had  prayed  she  mig^t  do.  She  reached  the  switch 
in  the  lower  hall  and  light  flared  out.  Instantly  I 
sprang  up  the  outside  of  the  stairway,  vaulted  over 
the  banisters  and  stood  half  way  up  the  stairs,  cut- 
ting her  of!,  I  hoped,  from  additional  ammunition. 

She  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  gun  in  hand, 
glaring  up  at  me.  I  saw  a  large,  handsome  woman 
with  a  rope  of  coarse  blonde  hair  as  thick  as  my 
wrist  hanging  down  her  back  and  eyes  like  lambent 
blue  flames.  By  her  snarl  I  saw  that  I  had  the  ad- 
vantage for  the  moment,  but  her  eyes  never  quailed. 
To  give  her  her  due  she  was  as  bold  as  a  lion.  I 
know  of  few  other  women  of  her  age  who  would  look 
handsome  under  the  circumstances.  She  was  wear- 
ircr  a  pink  negligee  robe  over  her  nightdress.  Her 
feet  were  bare,  they  were  pretty  feet,  too.  The  lit- 
tle dog  sheltered  himself  behind  her  skirts  barking 


Thieves'  Wit 


223 


madly.  I  saw  the  woman  glance  down  the  hall. 
No  doubt  she  was  wondering  why  the  noise  didn't 
bring  the  negro. 

"What  do  you  want?"  she  demanded  in  a  high  and 
mighty  tone. 

"Never  mind  what  I  want,"  I  returned.     "Do 
what  I  tell  you." 

"If  you  let  me  go  to  my  room  I'll  give  you  what 
money  I  have,"  she  said. 

"And  load  up  again,"  I  said  smiling. 

"You  can  watch  me.     I  have  two  hundred  dollars 
in  the  house.     It's  all  you  get,  anyway." 

"That's  not  what  I  came  for." 

By  that  she  knew  me.  She  bared  her  fine  white 
teeth  and  raised  her  gun. 

"It's  empty,"  I  said  laughing.  "I  counted  the 
shots." 

She  swore  with  heartfelt  bitterness  like  a  man. 

I  drew  my  own  gun.  "This  one  is  loaded,"  I 
said. 

I  descended  a  step  or  two  to  enforce  my  orders. 
I  pointed  the  gun  at  her.  "Open  the  front  doorl" 
I  commanded.  "Go  into  the  vesti'-  ile  and  close  it 
behind  you." 

My  purpose  was  to  lock  her  between  the  two  sets 
of  doors  while  I  searched  for  Sadie.  She  scowled 
at  me  sullenly,  and  for  a  moment  I  thought  I  had 
her  beaten;  she  seemed  about  to  obey.  But  reflect- 
ing perhaps  that  I  didn't  want  to  bring  in  outsiders 
any  more  than  she,  she  tork  a  chance.  Suddenly 
putting  down  her  head  she  ran  like  a  deer  for  the 


224 


Thieves'  Wit 


rear  hall,  the  little  dog  whimpering  in  terror  at  her 
heels. 

The  door  at  the  head  of  the  basement  stairs 
banged  open  and  she  plunged  down,  calling  on  her 
servant.  I  had  to  make  a  quick  decision.  The  way 
was  presumably  open  to  Sadie,  but  there  were  plenty 
of  knives  in  the  kitchen  and  if  she  liberated  the  man 
I  would  have  to  fight  my  way  out  of  the  house  against 
the  two  of  them.  I  ran  after  her.  A  rough  house 
in  the  basement  followed,  doors  slamming,  chairs 
overturned,  and  the  ceaseless  yelping  of  the  dog. 

She  ran  into  the  front  room,  saw  the  negro's  pre- 
dicament, and  ran  back  through  the  pantries  to  the 
kitchen.  I  was  close  at  her  heels.  She  knew  just 
where  to  find  her  knife,  and  she  was  out  of  the  room 
again  by  the  other  door  before  I  could  stop  her. 
She  ran  back  through  the  hall  to  the  front  room, 
slamming  both  doors  in  my  face  to  delay  me.  She 
tried  to  lock  the  second  door,  but  I  got  my  foot  in  it. 

She  flung  herself  on  the  negro,  sawing  at  his  bonds 
with  the  knife.  Fortunately  there  was  some  light 
in  this  room.  I  dragged  her  off  the  bed.  L  had 
only  one  arm  free  on  account  of  the  gun.  She  tore 
herself  free  from  me,  and  turning,  came  at  me  stab- 
bing with  the  knife.  I  thought  my  last  hour  had 
come.  I  fired  over  her  head.  She  ran  out  of  the 
room. 

!  stopped  to  look  at  my  prisoner's  bonds.  I  found 
them  intact.  In  bending  over  him  my  foot  struck 
something  on  the  floor.  I  picked  tip  her  gun.  She 
had  been  obliged  to  drop  it  in  order  to  use  the  knife. 


Thieves'  Wit 


225 


I  ran  after  her.  As  I  put  foot  on  the  upper  stairs 
I  heard  her  slam  her  bedroom  door  and  turn  the 
key.  So  there  I  had  my  work  to  do  all  over — but 
not  quite  all,  for  I  had  the  gun  now,  and  it  was 
hardly  likely  she  would  have  another. 


22 

1  HAMMERED  on  the  door  with  the  butt  of 
my  revolver — a  little  noise  more  or  less 
scarcely  mattered  now,  and  commanded  her  to 
open  it. 

She  was  not  so  easily  to  be  intimidated.  Through 
the  door  she  consigned  me  to  the  nether  world.  "If 
you  break  in  the  door  I'll  croak  the  girl,"  she  threat- 
ened. 

I  believed  her  capable  of  it.  Remembering  the 
knife  she  carried,  I  shuddered. 

We  spent  swne  moments  in  exchanging  amenities 
through  the  door.  I  wished  to  keep  her  oca-  'ed, 
while  I  threshed  around  in  my  head  for  some  ex- 
pedient to  trap  her. 

"All  right  1"  I  cried,  giving  the  door  a  final  rat- 
tle.    "I'll  get  the  poker  from  the  furnace." 

She  laughed  tauntingly. 

Of  course  I  had  no  such  intention.  I  had  sud- 
denly remembered  the  open  windows  on  the  roof 
of  the  extension.  It  seemed  easier  to  drop  from 
above  than  climb  from  below,  so  I  went  up-stairs. 

The  room  over  Mrs.  Mansfield's  bedroom  was 
unlocked  and  untenanted.  I  took,  off  my  shoes  at 
the  threshold,  and  crept  across  with  painful  care  to 
avoid  giving  her  warning  below.  Unfortunately  the 
windows  were  closed.     I  lost  precious  time  open- 

336 


Thieves'  Wit 


227 


ing  one  of  them  a  fraction  of  an  inch  at  a  time. 
FinaUy  I  was  able  to  lean  out.  She  had  lighted 
up  her  room.  I  could  see  the  glow  on  the  sill  be- 
low. To  my  great  satisfaction  I  saw  that  she  had 
pulled  down  the  blinds,  without,  however,  closing 
the  window  under  me.  For  while  I  looked  the  blind 
swayed  out  a  little  in  the  draft.  Evidently  the  pos- 
sibihty  of  an  attack  from  that  side  had  not  occurred 
to  her. 

It  was  a  drop  of  about  fourteen  feet  from  the 
window  sill  on  which  I  leaned  to  the  roof  of  the  ex- 
tension  below.  I  dared  not  risk  it.  Even  suppose 
1  escaped  injury,  the  noise  of  my  faU  would  warn 
her,  and  the  moments  it  would  take  me  to  recover 
my  balance  might  give  her  time  to  execute  her  foul 
plan.  I  believed  that  she  had  my  girl  locked  in 
the  inner  room  (else  I  should  surely  have  heard 
from  Sadie) .  This  would  give  me  one  second,  while 
she  was  unlocking  the  door— but  only  one  second. 

1  he  bed  m  the  room  I  was  in  was  made  up.  Al- 
ways with  the  same  precautions  of  silence  I  fashioned 
a  rope  sufficiently  long  out  of  the  two  sheets  and 
the  cotton  spread.  I  fastened  the  end  of  the  rope 
to  the  leg  of  a  heavy  bureau  beside  the  window,  and 
carefully  paid  it  out  over  the  sill.  Before  trusting 
myself  to  it  I  plamied  every  movement  in  advance 
1  must  let  myself  down  face  to  the  building,  I 
decided,  until  I  had  almost  reached  the  roof.  Then 
I  must  drop,  and  with  the  reflex  of  the  same  move- 
ment spring  into  the  woman's  room. 

It  worked  all  right.     I  was  already  inside  when 


228 


Thieves'  Wit 


ihe  turned  around.  It  wa*  well  that  it  wat  so,  be- 
cause the  door  into  the  inner  room  stood  wide.  I 
•aw  my  girl  lying  on  a  couch.  Like  a  flash  the 
woman  had  the  lights  out.  Quick  as  a  cat  she  was 
through  the  door,  knife  in  hand.  But  I  had  got  my 
bearings  with  that  one  glimpse.  I  was  hard  upon 
her.  I  flung  my  arms  around  her  from  behind,  pin- 
ioning her  close.  I  dragged  her  back  into  the  outer 
room.  She  was  surprisingly  strong  for  a  woman, 
but  I  was  just  a  little  stronger.  She  spit  out  curses 
like  an  angry  cat. 

I  dragged  her  ,  across  the  room  to  where  the 
switch  was.  I  had  to  take  an  arm  from  her  to  search 
for  it.  She  renewed  her  struggles.  It  took  half  a 
dozen  attempts.  Once  she  escaped  me  altogether. 
She  still  had  the  knife.  I  do  not  know  how  I  man- 
aged to  escape  injury.    She  slit  my  coat  with  it. 

At  last  I  got  the  blessed  light  turned  on.  She 
was  still  jabbing  at  me  with  the  knife,  but  I  could 
see  what  I  was  doing  now.  The  little  dog  fastened 
his  teeth  in  my  ankle.     I  kicked  him  across  the  room. 

Between  the  two  doors  I  have  mentioned  there  was 
a  third  door,  which  evidently  gave  on  a  closet.  It 
had  a  key  in  it.  I  dragged  my  captive  to  it,  and 
somehow  managed  to  get  it  open.  I  flung  her  in, 
knife  and  all,  slammed  the  door,  locked  it,  and 
leaned  against  the  frame  sobbing  for  breath.  I  was 
half  blinded  by  the  sweat  in  my  eyes.  The  woman 
was  all  in,  too,  or  I  never  should  have  got  the  door 
closed.  For  a  while  she  lay  where  she  had  fallen 
without  sound  or  movement     When  his  mistress 


Thieves'  Wit  229 

diMppe«>ed  the  dog  ran  under  the  bed.  Hi.  little 
pipe  was  now  to  hoane  he  could  tcarcely  make  him- 
self  heard. 

Presently  the  woman  recovered  her  forcei. 
Springing  up,  the  hurled  herielf  against  the  door 
with  as  much  force  as  she  could  gather  in  that  nar- 
row space.  The  door  opened  out,  and  the  lock 
was  a  flimsy  one.  I  saw  that  I  couldn't  keep  her 
there  for  long.     I  ran  into  the  inner  room. 

My  dearest  girl  was  lying  on  a  couch,  fully 
dressed  and  unfettered,  but  strangely  inert,  stupe- 
hed.  I  was  terrified  by  her  aspect.  However,  her 
body  was  warm  and  she  was  breathing,  though  not 
naturaUy.  She  was  not  wholly  unconscious.  Her 
head  moved  on  the  pillow,  and  her  misty  eyes  sought 
mine  with  a  faint  returning  gleam  of  sentience.  Ob- 
yiously  she  had  been  drugged,  and  the  effert  was 
just  now  beginning  to  wear  off. 

I  could  not  stop  to  restore  her  there.  I  gathered 
her  up  m  my  arms,  snatched  up  her  hat  which  was 
lying  near,  and  ran  out  through  the  bedroom.  I 
had  no  more  than  got  the  bedroom  door  locked  be- 
hind  me,  when  the  door  of  the  closet  burst  open, 
and  the  woman  fell  out  into  the  room.  Sh,;  immcdi- 
ately  threw  herself  against  the  other  door,  but  as 
regarded  diat,  my  mind  was  easier.  It  was  a  much 
Heavier  affair,  and  it  opened  towards  her.  I  need 
not  point  out  ihat  there  is  a  considerable  difference 
between  bursting  a  door  out,  and  pulling  it  in. 

I  earned  my  precious  burden  down  the  stairs, 
murmurmg  phrases  in  her  ear  that  I  did  not  know 


230 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  had  at  my  command.  She  commenced  to  weep,  a 
ver>  encouraging  sign.  I  believe  I  wept  with  her. 
She  was  dearer  to  me  than  my  life. 

I  paused  at  the  front  door  to  try  to  bring  her  to 
somewhat  before  venturing  out  into  the  street.  Un- 
fortimately  there  was  no  water  within  reach.  I  was 
afraid  to  take  much  time.  The  woman  upstairs 
had  obtained  some  kind  of  a  weapon  with  which  she 
was  battering  the  door.  In  her  insane  passion  she 
had  forgotten  all  considerations  of  prudence.  She 
finally  managed  to  split  one  of  the  panels;  the  key, 
however,  was  safe  in  my  pocket.  She  hurled  im- 
precations after  us. 

I  opened  the  outer  door  a  little,  and  the  fresh  air 
revived  my  dearest  girl  marvellously.  Presently 
she  was  able  to  stand  with  a  little  assistance.  Her 
first  conscious  act  was  to  pin  on  her  hat  with  a  pite- 
ous assumption  of  her  usually  composed  manner. 
For  a  long  time  she  could  not  speak,  but  she  knew 
me  now,  and  leaned  on  me  trustfully. 

I  knew  how  best  to  reach  her.  "Brace  up!"  I 
whispered  urgently.  "Pull  yourself  together.  I 
need  you.     Show  me  what  you  can  do  1" 

She  smiled  as  much  as  to  say  she  was  ready  for 
anything.    Such  was  her  temper. 

We  went  out,  closing  both  doors  behind  us.  I 
fully  expected  to  see  a  knot  of  the  curious  on  the 
steps,  attracted  by  the  strange  sounds  from  within. 
But  the  street  was  still  empty.  There  must  be  a 
lot  of  strange  things  happening  that  no  one  ever 
knows  of.     We  did  not  meet  anybody  until  we  got 


Thieves'  Wit 


231 


around  the  corner.  Here  a  policeman  stood  idly 
•winging  his  club  and  staring  at  the  taxicab,  specu- 
lating no  doubt  on  the  mystery  of  its  apparent  aban- 
donment and  wondering  what  he  ought  to  do  about 
it.  The  back  room  of  the  saloon  was  now  closed. 
I  saluted  him,  inwardly  praying  that  he  would 
not  be  led  to  look  down  at  my  feet.  I  had  man- 
aged to  keep  my  cap  through  all  vicissitudes,  but 
I  had  no  shoes  on.  I  briskly  opened  the  door,  and 
helped  Sadie  in. 

"Here  you  are,  Miss,"  said  I. 
Then  I  ran  completely  around  the  car  to  avoid  the 
bluecoat,  and  cranked  her.  Even  then  I  could  hear 
in  the  stillness  the  muffled  sound  of  the  woman'* 
blows  on  the  door.  The  policeman  was  apparently 
unaware  of  anything  amiss.  Fortunately  my  en- 
gine popped  at  the  first  turn.  The  policeman's  sus- 
picions of  me  were  gathering,  but  he  was  a  slow- 
thinking  specimen. 

"Hold  on  a  minute,  fellow,"  he  said  at  last. 
The  car  was  then  in  motion,  and  I  made  believe 
not  to  hear  him.     Apparently  he  did  not  think  it 
worth  while  to  raise  an  alarm. 

I  cannot  tell  you  with  what  a  feeling  of  thank- 
fuhiess  I  left  that  neighbourhood  behind  me. 

I  took  Sadie  direct  to  her  sister's.  We  found 
that  young  woman  in  a  pretty  state  of  fluster.  She 
was  of  an  emotional  type,  very  different  from  the 
matter-of-fact  Sadie.  Maybe  she  didn't  give  it  to 
me  for  leading  her  darling  into  danger  1  But  I  was 
happy  enough  to  be  able  to  take  it  with  a  grin. 


232 


Thieves'  Wit 


Sadie  by  this  time  could  speak  for  herself.    She  took 
my  part. 

I  telephoned  from  here  to  English  at  his  board- 
ing-house as  I  had  agreed.  I  still  had  more  than 
half  an  hour  to  the  good. 

He  gave  a  restrained  whoop  when  he  heard  my 
voice.  "You've  got  her!"  he  cried.  "You're  both 
all  right?" 

"Right  as  rain  I" 

"Ben,  you're  a  wonder!" 

At  that  moment  I  iwas  quite  prepared  to  believe  it. 

"How  did  you  manage  it?"  he  asked. 

"Can't  tell  you  now.  The  game  is  only  start- 
mg." 

"What  am  I  to  do?" 

"Go  to  bed.  Above  all  keep  them  from  suspect- 
ing you.  The  whole  case  depends  on  you  now.  I 
will  write  you  care  Dunsany's  on  Monday." 

"Take  care  of  yourself  I" 

"Same  to  you  I" 

Warning  the  girls  to  be  ready  to  start  for  the 
country  in  an  hour,  I  borrowed  a  pair  of  brother-in- 
law's  shoes  and  returned  the  taxi  to  its  garage.  I 
then  went  home  and  washed  and  dressed  myself  in 
my  own  clothes.  Afterwards  I  got  out  my  own  lit- 
tle car  and  went  back  for  Sadie,  By  this  time  the 
dawn  was  breaking.     It  was  Sunday. 

I  found  Sadie  quite  her  own  self  again,  and  flatly 
rebellious  at  being  ordered  to  give  up  the  game  and 
retire  to  the  country.  In  vain  I  explained  to  her  that 
theac!  people  Bad  ^ar  Jbacks  against  ihe  wall  now, 


Thieves'  Wit 


233 


and  that  our  lives  were  not  worth  a  farthing  dip  if 
they  ever  caught  sight  of  us.  Sister  was  now  on 
my  side,  not,  however,  without  a  few  back  shots  at 
the  one  who  had  first  got  her  Sadie  into  the  crooks' 
bad  books.  It  was  not  until  I  said  that  I  was  my- 
self  going  to  lie  low  for  a  while  that  Sadie  gave  in. 
I'm  afraid  at  that,  that  her  opinion  of  me  suffered 
a  fall  for  the  time  being. 

The  dearest  girl  was  furious  when  she  learned 
that  I  had  almost  been  frightened  out  of  my  wits 
by  the  message  from  her  they  had  sent  me,  so  much 
so  that  I  had  been  prepared  to  drop  the  whole  case 
to  save  her. 

"That  was  what  they  were  after  I"  she  cried.     "I 
had  to  write  it,  of  course,  because  she  held  a  pistol 
to  my  head.     But  I  was  sure  you  would  understand. 
If  I  had  thought  for  a  moment  that  you  would  let 
;it  interfere  with  the  case  I  would  have  let  her  shoot." 
I  shuddered.     One   did  not  know  whether  to 
Traise  or  blame  such  game  folly.     However,  I  reg- 
istered  a  little  vow  privately  not  to  let  Sadie's  en- 
thusiasm lead  her  into  danger  again.     Meanwhile  I 
flugged  her  right  there  with  sister  looking  on.    She 
prompdy  slapped  my  face— but  not  so  hard  as  usual. 
I  took  the  sisters  to  that  same  little  sanatorium 
at  Amityville,  Long  Island,  where  Sadie  had  been 
before  with  Miss  Hamerton.     The  doctor-proprie- 
tor  was  an  old  friend  of  mine.     A  single  warning 
word  to  him,  and  I  knew  they  would  be  as  safe  as 
I  could  guard  them  myself. 
Notwithstanding  Sadie's  violent  objections   (she 


234 


Thieves'  Wit 


•aid  she  had  been  lured  to  Amltyyille  under  false 
pretenses),  I  motored  right  back  to  town.  I  did 
intend  to  lay  off  for  a  day  or  two  but  I  had  to  put 
my  office  in  order  first.  It  was  about  eight  o'clock 
when  I  got  back  to  Manhattan.  I  put  up  my  car 
and  had  an  excellent  breakfast.  I  thought  if  I  was 
going  to  be  plugged  it  might  as  well  be  on  a  full 
stomach.  I  did  not  deceive  myself  as  to  the  risk  I 
ran  in  visiting  my  office,  but  it  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  me  to  secure  certain  papers  and  destroy 
others.  ' 

I  took  a  taxi  down  and  ordered  the  man  to  wait. 
I  cleaned  everything  up  in  case  the  place  should  be 
entered  during  my  absence.  What  papers  I  meant 
to  take  with  me  I  deposited  in  a  satchel,  and  took 
the  precaution  of  strapping  it  to  my  wrist.  Then 
I  locked  up  and  returned  down  stairs.  I  found  that 
my  chauffeur  had  moved  away  from  the  doorway  a 
little,  consequently  I  was  exposed  for  a  moment  or 
two  on  the  sidewalk. 

It  was  sufficient.  I  heard  that  deadly  little 
"ping"  and  simultaneously  a  sound  like  a  slap  on 
bare  flesh.  I  did  not  know  I  was  hit,  but  I  fell  down. 
Then  a  pain  like  the  searing  of  a  hot  iron  passed 
through  my  shoulder. 

"I'm  shot  I"  I  cried  involuntarily. 

I  realised  that  I  was  not  seriously  hurt.  How- 
ever, I  had  no  mind  to  get  up  and  make  mjrself  a 
target  for  more.  I  made  believe  to  close  my  eyes, 
and  lay  still.  My  mind  worked  with  a  strange  dear- 
nessw     I  saw  the  woman  across  the  street.     She  was 


Thieves'  Wit 


235 


poorly  dressed  with  a  shawl  over  her  head,  but  I 
recognised  the  stature  and  the  curves  of  my  antag- 
onist of  the  night  before. 

The  usual  gaping  crowd  gathered.  Nobody  had 
heard  the  shot  but  me.  While  all  eyes  were  di- 
rected  on  me  the  woman  coolly  walked  away  across 
the  park,  tossing  the  gun  into  the  middle  of  a  bush 
as  she  went.  I  said  nothing.  It  was  no  part  of 
my  game  to  have  her  arrested. 

I  suspected  that  the  openmouthed  crowd  surround- 
ing me  was  full  of  spies,  so  I  made  out  to  be  worse 
hurt  than  I  was,  groaning  and  writhing  a  little.  The 
wound  helped  me  out  by  bleeding  profusely.  One 
youth  with  an  evil  face  made  to  take  my  satchel  as 
if  to  relieve  me.  The  strap  frustrated  his  humane 
purpose.  He  was  afraid  to  proceed  further  under 
that  circle  of  eyes. 

Somebody  had  telephoned  for  an  ambulance,  and 
presently  it  came  danpng  up  with  a  fresh  crowd  in 
Its  train.     The  white  clad  surgeon  bent  over  me. 

"I  am  not  badly  hurt,"  I  whispered  to  him,  "but 
please  take  me  away  quickly  out  of  this  mob." 

I  was  carried  to  Bellevue  Hospital  where  I  en- 
gaged  a  private  room.  My  wound,  a  slight  affair, 
was  cauterised— I  had  in  mind  the  possibility  of 
poison,  and  dressed.  Afterwards  I  enjoyed  my  first 
sleep  in  twenty-four  hours.  I  had  left  instructions 
that  no  one  was  to  be  admitted  to  see  me,  and  that  no 
mformation  regarding  my  cond-'ion  was  to  be  given 
out. 

By  the  next  day  I  was  quite  myself  again.    I  had 


236 


Thieves'  Wit 


already  seen  the  reporters,  and  by  the  exercise  of 
persuasion  and  diplomacy  had  managed  to  keep  the 
affair  from  being  unJuly  exploited  in  the  papers. 
The  police,  good  fellows,  were  hard  at  work  on  the 
case,  but  they  could  hardly  be  expected  to  accomplish 
anything  without  the  evidence  which  I  did  not  intend 
to  let  them  have.  The  doctors  who  hate  to  see 
any  one  escape  out  of  their  hands  so  easily  did  their 
best  to  persuade  me^  to  stop  a  while  in  the  hospital 
and  "rest"  "jut  how  could  I  rest  with  so  much  to  do 
outside? 

Havmg  decided  that  I  must  leave  the  hospital,  it 
was  a  matter  of  considerable  concern  to  me  how 
this  was  to  be  effected  without  exposing  myself  to  a 
fresh  danger.  I  had  received  a  disguised  telephone 
message  from  English  to  the  effect  that  they  were 
waiting  for  me.  I  decided  to  confide  in  the  visiting 
surgeon,  an  understanding  man. 

"Sir,"  I  said,  "I  am  a  private  djtective.  I  have 
a  gang  of  crooks  almost  ready  to  be  rounded  up. 
Knowing  it,  they  are  desperate.  That  is  the  ex- 
planation of  the  attack  on  me.  Now  the  chances 
are  that  the  instant  I  step  outside  the  hospital  I'll 
stop  another  bullet.  What  would  you  do  if  you 
were  me?" 

"Call  on  the  police,"  he  said,  of  course. 

"I  can't  do  that  without  exploding  my  charges  pre- 
maturely." 

As  I  said,  he  was  an  understanding  man.  He 
didn't  bother  me  with  a  lot  of  questions,  but  took 


Thieves'  Wit 


237 


the  caie  as  he  found  it.    After  thbking  a  while,  he 
•aid: 

"How  would  it  do  if  I  had  you  transferred  in  an 
ambulance  to  my  private  clinic  on  — r—  Street.  You 
see  you'll  be  loaded  on  out  of  sight  in  the  hospital 
yard  here,  and  you  wiU  be  driven  right  inside  my 
place  to  be  unloaded.  You  lie  flat  in  the  ambulance 
and  no  one  can  see  inside  without  climbing  on  the 
step,  and  a  surgeon  sits  there." 

"Finel"  I  said.  "You're  a  man  of  resource." 
He  gave  the  order,  and  it  was  so  done.  Arrived 
at  his  private  hospital  I  dressed  myself  in  street 
clothes,  borrowing  a  coat  to  replace  my  bloody  one, 
Md  callmg  a  taxi  had  myself  carried  to  Oscar 
MiJsonsshop. 


23 

1HAVE  mentioned,  I  believe,  that  Oscar  Nihon 
was  a  wig-maker,  the  best  in  New  York.  His 
little  shop  on  a  quiet  side  street  North  of  Madison 
Square  is  quaint  enough  to  be  the  setting  of  an  old- 
fashioned  play.  The  walls  are  lined  with  old  cuts 
of  historical  personages  and  famous  Thespians  as 
historical  personages,  all  with  particular  attention 
to  their  hirsute  features.  On  the  counter  stands  a 
row  of  forms,  each  bearing  some  extraordinary  kind 
of  scalp.  Oscar  deals  in  make-up  as  a  side  line 
and  the  air  bears  the  intoxicating  odour  of  grease 
paint  and  cold  cream. 

Oscar's  business  is  chiefly  with  the  theatrical  pro- 
fession, but  many  an  old  beau  and  fading  belle  have 
found  out  that  he  knows  more  about  restoring  youth 
than  the  more  fashionable  beautifiers.  Oscar  loves 
his  business.  His  knowledge,  historical,  artistic, 
scientific,  is  immense — but  all  in  terms  of  human  hair. 
He  can  tell  you  offhand  how  Napoleon  wore  his  in 
1803  or  any  other  year  of  his  career,  and  will  make 
you  an  exact  sketch  of  the  toupee  ordered  by  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  when  his  feU  out. 

Oscar   himself,    strangely    enough,    or   perhaps 

naturally,  has  next  to  no  hair  of  his  own,  merely  a 

little  mousy  fringe  above  the  ears.    He  has  a  jolly 

rubicL  id  face  and  is  held  m  hig^  affection  and  esteem 

«3» 


Thieves'  Wit 


239 


by  nis  customers.  He  flatters  me  by  taking  a  par- 
ticular  mterest  in  my  custom.  I  am  the  only  one  of 
his  clients  in  the  criminal  line. 

He  led  me  into  one  of  the  little  cubicles  where  the 
trying^n  takes  place,  and  stood  off  to  observe  me 
from  between  narrowed  lids. 

"What  wiU  it  be  now?"  he  said.  "I  was  sorry 
to  read  of  your  accident." 

"A  mere  trifle.  What  would  you  iggest?  It 
must  stand  sunlight  and  shadow,  and  be  something 
I  can  keep  up  for  a  while  if  necessary." 

"Let  me  think  I  Your  head  and  face  offer  a  good 
starting-point  for  so  many  creations  I" 

"In  other  words  the  Lord  left  me  unfinished,"  I 
said,  teasingly. 

"Not  at  alll  I  meant  that  in  your  case  there 
were  no  awkward  malformations  to  be  overcome  " 

From  which  it  will  be  seen  that  Oscar  is  a  diplo- 
mat. 

"Wh^t  would  you  say  to  a  South  American  gentle- 
man? he  asked.  "New  York  is  full  of  them  in  the 
•ummer. 

accln?""''  "^  ^^^^'     "■^°  *^*  *° '"'"'  "P  "  ^P""'»'> 
"An  oflicer  of  a  liner  on  shore  leave." 
"w  '''°"  *'^  ^°°^  ''*''  anybody  else." 

dlcrr      *'"'  ^""^  *^°"*  ""  Armenian  fruit  ped- 

"That  would  restrict  my  activities  too  much      I 
must  be  able  to  go  anywhere." 


240 


Thieves'  Wit 


"I  ice  70U  have  an  idea  of  your  own,"  he  said. 
"What  ii  it?" 

"We've  used  several  rough-neck  disguises,"  I  said. 
"Suppose  you  fix  me  up  as  a  swell  this  time.  I  have 
a  mind  to  stop  at  a  fashionable  hotel." 

"The  very  thing  I"  cried  Oscar.  "A  curled 
toupee,  slightly  silvered ;  a  wash  for  the  skin  to  give 
an  interesting  pallour;  a  little  touching  up  about  the 
eyes  for  an  expression  of  world  weariness;  waxed 
moustache,  mono^e — 1 — " 

"Easy  I  The  burning-glass  would  g^ve  me  dead 
away.     You  have  to  be  bom  to  that." 

"Well  you  don't  have  to  have  the  monocle,"  said 
OKar  regretfully.  "But  it's  very  aristocratic." 
The  costume  must  be  exquisitely  appointed — it  will 
be  expensive—^" 

"Expense  is  no  object  in  this  Case,"  I  said. 

He  set  to  work  and  an  hour  later  I  left  his  shop 
a  changed  man.  In  th?  event  of  such  a  contingency  I 
had  already  secured  from  Mr.  Dunsany  the  name  of 
his  tailor,  and  I  now  left  him  a  rush  order  for  sev- 
eral suits.  Meanwhile  I  bought  the  best  I  could 
ready  made.  I  went  to  the  most  fashionable  out- 
fitters and  invested  heavily.  Until  they  displayed 
their  stock  here,  I  had  no  idea  that  men  might  in- 
dulge such  extravagant  tastes.  All  this  was  to  be 
sent  to  the  Hotel  Rotterdam  where  I  engaged  an 
ext>ensive  suite.  I  believed  that  it  would  be  the 
last  place  in  town  where  the  gang  would  think  of 
looking  for  me. 

I  wished  to  persuade  them  that  I  had  been  scared 


Thieves'  Wit  241 

off.  After  having  the  cryptogram  receipt  photo- 
graphed,  I  returned  it  in  a  plain  envelope  to  Jumbo'a 
flat.  By  telephone  I  instructed  Keenan  to  discharge 
all  the  operatives,  close  the  Forty-second  street  office 
and  advertise  it  for  rent.  This  place  had  outlived 
Its  usefulness.  Jumbo,  Foxy,  et  al.,  had  proved 
themselves  more  than  a  match  for  such  operatives 
as  could  be  hired. 

This  done,  I  went  out  to  AmityviUe  to  spend  a  day 
with  Sadie.  I  had  promised  to  lay  off  for  a  little, 
and  anyway  I  had  to  wait  until  my  new  clothes  were 
done  before  bemg  seen  around  town.  After  the 
mad  excitement  of  the  past  few  days,  we  spent  a 
heavenly  peaceful  interlude  under  the  oaks  of  my 
friend's  big  place. 

While  I  was  out  there  an  interesting  report  from 
my  sole  remaining  operative  arrived. 

Report  OF  J.  M.     #10 

.J™»  »oon  as  I  heard  that  you  and  S.  F.  were  all 
right  I  went  to  bed  as  you  instructed.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  I  had  scarcely  fallen  asleep  when  I  was 
awakened  by  my  landlady  at  my  door  to  say  that  a 
man  wanted  to  see  me.  It  was  no  more  than  day- 
break  then.  Hard  upon  her  knock  Jumbo  entered 
tfte  room.  I  had  barely  time  to  pull  on  my  false  hair 
and  fix  It.     Hereafter  I  shaU  have  to  sleep  in  it 

Jumbo  was  in  a  state  of  no  little  excitement.  He 
pve  me  his  version  of  what  had  happened.  Lorina, 
Having  apparently  just  escaped  from  her  room,  had" 


a4a 


Thievw'  Wit 


called  him  up  about  half  an  hour  before.  I  am  not 
lure  but  what  Jumbo  came  to  me  because  she  had 
suggested  a  suspicion  of  mc.  However,  I  think  it 
more  lilcely  that  he  just  wanted  moral  support.  He 
was  badly  frightened.  Jumbo  for  all  his  bluS,  is 
not  a  strong  character.  He  is  dependent  both  on 
Foxy  and  on  the  woman,  and  now  seems  disposed  to 
lean  on  me.  If  he  was  suspicious  my  sleepiness  and 
bad-temper  upon  being  awakened  must  have  reas- 
sured him. 

I  dressed  and  We  went  right  up  to  the  Lexington 
avenue  house.  Being  Sunday,  I  had  the  day  to  my- 
self. Mrs.  Mansfield  had  gone  out  leaving  word 
that  we  were  to  wait  until  she  came  in  or  telephoned. 
The  maids  believed  that  she  had  gone  to  consult  the 
police.  These  two  were  full  of  highly-coloured 
accotmts  of  the  supposed  robbery  of  the  night  before. 
The  hulking  black  man,  however,  was  silent  and 
sullen.  He  knew.  I  wonder  what  you  did  to  him. 
I  don't  think  I  ever  saw  a  more  repulsive  human 
creature — or  one  more  powerful. 

Foxy  arrived  shortly  after  we  did.  I  am  now 
admitted  to  terms  of  the  closest  equality  by  these 
two.  The  understand)  x  i*  that  each  knows  enough 
to  the  discredit  of  the  others  to  ensure  faithfulness 
all  around.  We  all  chafed  at  the  enforced  inaction, 
but  dared  not  go  against  Lorina's  instructions.  She 
is  the  boss.  The  other  two  half  expected  the  police 
to  descend  on  the  house  momentarily. 

About  ten  o'clock  Mrs.  Mansfield  returned  in  a 
taxi-cab.     This  taxi,  by  the  way,  is  her  property 


Thieves'  Wit 


243 


and  the  driver  it  one  of  the  gang.  The  woman  was 
handsomely  dretied  without  ditguiie  of  any  kind 
We  had  a  conference  in  the  sitting-room  up-stairs. 
Mrs.  Mansfield  gave  us  some  further  details  of  the 
previous  night.  As  soon  as  she  succeeded  in  break- 
ing out  of  her  room  after  telephoning  to  Jumbo  and 
Foxy  she  hastened  up  to  S.  F.'s  house,  also  to  your 
place,  both  of  which  addresses  she  knew.  She  said 
that  she  was  disguised,  so  she  must  have  some  place 
outside  where  she  changes  her  clothes.  She  found 
she  was  too  late  at  both  places.  You  had  carried 
off  S.  F.  in  your  automobile. 

Mrs.  Mansfield  then  went  down  to  Fortieth  street. 
From  the  park  opposite,  she  watched  your  office  for 
four  hours.  You  got  inside  too  quick  for  her,  she 
said,  but  when  you  came  out  she  potted  you.  Her 
eyes  gleamed  like  a  devil's  as  she  said  it.  Fancy  how 
my  heart  went  down. 

She  had  then  changed  her  -'  thes  and  come 
straight  home.  She  couldn't  tell  i;jw  seriously  she 
had  wounded  you.  A  general  prayer  went  around 
the  table  that  it  would  be  your  finish.  She  said  we 
should  hear  presently. 

She  seems  to  have  an  unlimited  number  of  men 
subject  to  her  orders.  While  she  waited  for  you 
at  your  office  she  had  sent  for  several,  and  posted 
them  near.  They  mixed  in  the  crowd  that  sur- 
rounded  you  when  you  fell.  One  of  them  had  been 
instructed  to  make  away  with  your  satchel.  Another 
was  to  follow  the  ambulance  to  the  hospital.     A 


244 


Thieves'  Wit 


third  wai  to  recover  her  gun  after  the  excitement 
wai  over  and  return  it  to  her. 

The  firtt  of  these,  an  evil-looking  young  black- 
guard, came  in  while  we  talked.  He  reported  no 
•ucceu.  The  satchel  was  strapped  to  your  wrist, 
he  said,  and  when  he  started  to  unfasten  it  the  crowd 
began  to  murmur.  He  said  that  you  had  been  shot 
in  the  shoulder,  and  had  been  carried  to  Bellevue. 
He  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  you  were  not  as  badly 
hurt  as  you  ma(|e  out.  This  cheered  me  greatly. 
Bitter  disappointment  was  expressed  around  the 
table. 

Later  another  of  Lorina's  men  reported  by  tele- 
phone that  he  had  learned  through  an  orderly  in  the 
hospital  that  you  had  suffered  only  a  slight  flesh 
wound,  and  would  be  able  to  leave  the  hospital  next 
day.  On  hearing  this  she  gave  her  orders  to  have 
every  exit  from  the  hospital  watched.  Instructions 
were  to  shoot  to  kill.  If  it  can  be  found  out  in  ad- 
vance what  time  you  are  going  to  leave,  she  means  to 
be  on  hand  herself. 

As  soon  as  I  could  get  out  without  exciting  sus- 
picion, I  sent  you  a  warning  by  telephone. 

J.M. 


#11 

June  2ith. 
To-day  I  had  to  go  to  my  work  as  usual,  so  I 
didn't  see  any  of  the  gang  until  night.     In  our  pres- 
ent state  of  excitement  and  uncertainty  we  have  aban- 


Thieves'  Wit 


»4S 


doned  the  Turtle  Bay  ai  a  meeting  place.    I  found 
my  partners  in  anything  but  a  good  humour. 

In  the  firit  place  they  had  learned  through  the 
friendly  orderly  that  in  spite  of  all  their  measures, 
you  had  been  safely  spirited  out  of  the  hospital  in 
an  ambulance.  It  was  learned  by  way  of  the  ambu- 
lance driver  that  you  had  been  carried  to  Dr.  — i — 's 
private  hospital.  It  was  then  too  late  to  do  any- 
thing.  By  the  time  they  got  there,  you  had  left,  and 
the  town  had  swallowed  you  up. 

The  entire  strength  of  the  gang,  excepting  me,  has 
been  devoted  all  day  to  picking  up  your  trail,  so  far 
without  any  success.  They  have  watched  all  your 
usual  haunts,  your  flat,  your  restaurant,  S.  F.'s  home 
and  your  office  on  Fortieth  street.  Foxy  brought 
in  word  that  the  International  Bureau  on  Forty- 
Second  street  had  been  closed,  and  all  the  operatives 
discharged.     He    trailed    Kecnan,    the    supposed 

manager  to  the  office  of  the Railway,  where  he 

was  re-engaged  for  his  old  position. 

Jumbo  came  in  with  the  information  that  the  piece 
of  evidence  which  they  regarded  as  of  such  im- 
portance had  been  returned  to  him.  I  don't  know 
what  this  was.  Lorina,  examining  it,  said  that  it 
appeared  to  have  the  remains  of  paste  on  the  cor- 
ners, and  that  you  had  probably  had  it  photographed. 

Foxy  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  you  had  been 
scared  off.  "We  know  there  is  no  one  backing  him," 
said  he.  "He  has  no  financial  resources.  He  can't 
keep  it  up." 

Lorina  would  have  none  of  it.    Her  eyes  become 


246 


Thieves'  Wit 


incandescent  with  hatred  when  your  name  is  men- 
tioned now.  "Don't  you  believe  it,"  she  snarled. 
"That  man  will  never  give  up.  I  have  seen  his  face 
and  I  know !  He's  a  bull-dog.  He  will  never  rest 
until  he  has  pulled  us  down,  tmless  we  stop  him  with 
a  bullet." 

Jumbo  became  panicky.  His  suggestion  was  for 
the  gang  to  scatter  and  lie  low  for  the  time-being. 

Lorina  scorned  him.  She  proceeded  to  point  out 
to  us  all  just  where  you  stood.  She  appeared  to 
know  as  well  as  ^ou  do.  Her  insight  is  uncanny. 
You  have  no  case,  she  said,  except  possibly  against 
Foxy.  You  are  too  conceited  to  be  satisfied  with 
one.  You  will  not  strike  until  you  have  a  chance  of 
landing  the  whole  gang. 

"But  how  about  the  kidnapping?"  asked  Jumbo. 

"The  police  would  have  been  here  before  this  if 
Enderby  wanted  to  proceed  on  that,"  she  said. 
"Why,  he  watdied  me  walk  away  after  I  shot  him, 
and  never  said  a  word.  No,  I  tell  you  he  hasn't 
got  the  evidence  yet,  and  we're  safe  until  he  gets  it. 
He's  aiming  to  make  a  grand  haul  of  the  whole  gang 
together,  and  get  his  name  in  the  headlines." 

The  others  were  considerably  b^.essed.  They 
Ksked  for  instructions. 

"We've  got  to  go  on  just  as  we  are,"  said  Lorina. 
"Foxy  must  keep  the  room  on  F  Tty-Ninth  street. 
Jumbo  the  flat  on  One  Hundredth  street,  and  I  stay 
here.  Let  everybody  go  about  freely,  and  meet  here 
a>  usual,  that  is,  all  except  English.  English  mustn't 
come  here  again.    Enderby  isn't  on  to  him  yet. 


Thieves'  Wit 


247 


Enderby,  if  I  have  the  right  dope,  will  lie  1-  w  for  a 
few  days  and  then  thinking  that  we  are  lulled  to 
security,  will  quietly  start  to  work  again.  That's 
why  we  must  keep  our  present  hang-outs.  He's  got 
to  come  to  one  of  them  to  pick  us  up,  and  then  we'll 
have  him." 

This  woman  is  a  wonder  in  her  way.  Fortunately, 
there  is  one  fact  that  spoils  all  her  reasonmg — ^your 
humble  servant. 

As  we  broke  up  she  said  a  significant  thing, 
"Lord  I  the  conceit  of  the  man,  thinking  he  can 
break  up  the  gang!  Why  if  he  did  land  all  of  us 
it  wouldn't  make  any  difference.  He  hasn't  got 
within  a  mile  of  the  real  boss !" 

Being  excited  she  spoke  more  recklessly  than  usual. 
So  it  appears  that  our  work  perhaps  is  just  begin- 
ning! 

J.M 


ON  Wednesday  morning  I  motored  to  town  and 
took  up  my  residence  in  the  Hotel  Rotterdam. 
I  hardly  knew  myself  amidst  such  grandeur.  For 
several  days  the  situation  remained  in  status  quo. 
I  learned  from  English's  daily  reports  that  Lorina 
and  her  gang  were  still  waiting  for  my  first  move. 
I,  for  my  part,  was  determined  to  make  them  move 
first. 

Only  one  of  his  reports  gave  me  anything  to  do. 
I  quote  from  it: 

"Among  all  the  men  who  come  and  go  in  this  den 
of  crooks  there  is  one  that  has  particularly  excited 
my  interest  and  compassion.     It  is  an  extremely 

food-looking  boy  of  eighteen  or  thereabouts  whom 
know  simply  as  Blondy.  He  seems  so  like  a  nor- 
mal boy,  jolly,  frank  and  mischievous,  that  I  keep 
wondenng  how  he  fell  into  Lorina's  clutches.  Vk 
reminds  me  of  my  boy  Eddie  at  his  age.  Lorina  has 
him  thoroughly  intimidated.  She  is  more  overbear- 
ing with  him  than  the  others.  He  seems  not  to  be 
trusted  very  far,  but  is  used  as  errand  boy  and  spy. 
His  extreme  good  looks  and  ingenuous  air,  make  him 
valuable  to  them  I  fancy. 

"Blondy's  instinct  seems  to  have  led  him  to  make 

friends  with  me,  though  as  far  as  he  knows  I  am  no 

better  than  the  rest.    At  any  rate  we  have  had  a  few 

talks  together  and  feel  quite  intimate.    Without  any 

34S 


Thieves'  Wit 


249 


su^srion  from  mc,  he  has  kept  this  from  the  others. 
It  IS  quite  touching. 

"I  would  like  very  much  to  get  the  boy  out  of  this 
before  the  grand  catastrophe.  I'm  sure  he's  worth 
saving.  Naturally  in  my  position  I  can't  undertake 
any  missionary  work.  Could  you  with  safety  ar- 
range for  some  one  to  get  hold  of  the  boy  ?  He  tells 
me  that  he  lives  at  the  Adelphi  Association  House, 
JNo.  — —  West  125th  street.  Apparently  it  is  a 
semi-philanthropic  club  or  boarding-house  for  young 

w"'.    .P^  P*'"*   ^"^  ^y  tJ»e  name   of   Ralph 
Manly."  "^ 

I  was  in  almost  as  unfavorable  a  position  for 
undertaking  "missionary  work"  as  Mr.  Dunsany. 
After  fhinking  the  matter  over  I  decided  to  again 
ask  the  help  of  the  famous  surgeon  who  had  be- 
friended me  in  the  hospital.  I  called  at  his  office 
for  the  ostensible  purpose  of  consulting  him  as  to 
my  health.  When  I  was  alone  with  him  in  his  con- 
sulting room  I  made  myself  known.  Being  a  human 
kind  of  man,  notwithstandmg  his  eminence,  he  was 
interested  in  the  dramatic  and  mysterious  elements 
of  my  story.  Far  from  abusing  me  for  taking  up 
his  valuable  time,  he  expressed  himself  as  very  will- 
ing to  help  save  the  boy. 

We  consulted  a  directory  of  charities  in  his  office, 
and  he  found  that  he  was  acquainted  with  several 
men  on  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Adelphi  Asso- 
ciation.  This  offered  an  opening.  He  promised 
to  proceed  with  the  greatest  caution,  and  promised 
to  write  to  me  at  my  hotel  if  he  had  any  luck. 
Three  days  later  I  heard  from  him  as  follows: 


250 


Thieves'  Wit 


"I  took  my  friend  on  the  Adelphi  board  partly 
into  my  confidence,  and  between  him  and  the  doctor 
employed  by  the  association  to  safeguard  the  health 
of  the  boys,  the  matter  was  easily  arranged.  The 
doctor's  regular  weekly  visit  to  the  institution  fell 
Yesterday.  He  saw  the  boy,  and  making  believe  to 
be  struck  by  something  in  his  appearance,  put  him 
through  an  examination.  He  hinted  to  the  boy  that 
he  was  in  rather  a  bad  way,  and  instructed  him  to 
report  to  my  office  for  advice  this  morning.' 

"The  young  fellow  showed  up  in  a  very  sober 
state  of  mind.  He  is  really  sm  sound  as  a  dollar,  but 
for  the  present  I  dm  keeping  him  anxious  without 
being  too  explicit.  He  appears  to  be  quite  as  attrac- 
tive a  youth  as  your  friend  said.  I  am  very  much  in- 
terested, but  am  not  yet  prepared  to  make  up  my 
mind  about  him.  He  is  commg  to-morrow  at  two- 
thirty.  If  it  is  convenient  for  you  to  be  here,  I  will 
arrange  a  meeting  as  if  by  accident." 

Needless  to  say,  I  was  at  the  doctor's  office  at  the 
time  specified.  I  found  the  blonde  boy  already  wait- 
ing among  other  patients  in  the  outer  office.  It  was 
easy  to  recognise  him  from  Mr.  Dunsany's  descrip- 
tion. He  was  better  than  merely  good-looking;  he 
had  nice  eyes.  He  was  dressed  a  little  too  showily 
as  is  natural  to  a  boy  of  that  age  when  he  is  allowed 
to  consult  his  own  taste  exclusively. 

There  happened  to  be  a  vacant  chair  beside  him 
and  I  took  it.  Presently  I  addressed  some  friendly 
ccMnmoi^ilace  to  him.  He  responded  naturally. 
Evidently  he  was  accustomed  to  having  people  like 
him.  Soon  we  were  talking  away  like  old  friends. 
I  w|is  more  and  more  taken  with  him.     Primarily,  it 


Thieves'  Wit  251 

was  his  good  looks,  of  course,  the  universal  safe- 
conduct,  but  m  addition  to  that  I  was  strongly 
affected  by  a  quality  of  wistfulness  in  the  boy's  glance, 
of  which  he  himself  was  quite  unconscious.  Surely, 
I  sa.d  to  myself,  a  boy  of  his  age  had  no  business 
to  be  carrymg  around  a  secret  sorrow.  The  doctor 
issumg  from  his  consulting  room,  saw  us  hobnobbing 
together,  and  aUowed  us  to  wait  until  everybody  else 
had  been  attended  to. 

He  had  me  into  the  consulting  room  first.    "Well 
what  do  you  think  of  him  ?"  he  asked.  ' 

"I  am  charmed,"  I  said.     "There  are  no  two 
words  about  it." 

"So  was  I,"  he  said,  "but  I  didn't  want  to  raise 
your  hopes  too  high  in  my  letter." 

After  discussing  a  little  what  we  would  do  with 
him,  we  had  the  boy  in. 

"Ralph,  my  friend,  Mr.  Boardman,  wished  to  be 
regularly  mtroduced,"  said  the  doctor. 

Boardman  was  the  name  I  had  taken  in  my  present 
disguise. 

The  boy  shook  hands  nicely,  he  was  neither  too 
bashful,  nor  too  brash,  and  some  facetious  remarks 
were  made  all  around. 

"I  tell  Boardman,"  said  the  doctor,  "that  if  he 

had  done  his  duty  by  his  country  and  had  had  half  a 

dozeiv  sons  like  you  he  would  have  no  time  to  be 

worrymg  about  his  appendix  now." 

"Has  your  father  got  half  a  dozen  like  you?"  I 
asked.  ' 

An  expression  of  pain  ran  across  the  boy's  face. 


252 


Thieves'  Wit 


"I  have  no  brothers,"  he  said.  "My'  father  is 
dead." 

"Well,  since  you're  a  fatherless  son,  and  I'm  a  son- 
less  father — with  an  appendix,  perhaps  we  can  cheer 
each  other  up  a  little,'  I  said.  "Will  you  have 
dinner  with  me  at  my  hotel  to-night?" 

Boys  never  see  anything  suspicious  in  sudden  over- 
tures of  friendship.  Ralph  accepted,  blushing  with 
pleasure. 

The  dinner  was  a  great  success.  I  don't  know 
which  of  us  was  the  better  entertained.  My  young 
friend's  prattle,  ingenuous,  boastful,  lightheaded, 
renewed  my  own  boyhood.  It  was  rather  painful 
though  to  see  one  naturally  so  frank,  obliged  to  pull 
up  when  he  found  himself  approaching  dangerous 
ground.  Then  he  would  glance  at  me  to  see  if  I 
had  noticed  anything. 

I  had  him  several  times  after  that.  It  was  a  risk, 
of  course,  but  one  must  take  risks.  At  the  same 
time  I  was  pretty  sure  from  Mr.  Dunsany's  reports 
that  Ralph  never  talked  of  his  outside  affairs  to  any 
of  the  gang.  At  least  he  never  told  Mr.  Dunsany 
anything  about  his  dinners  with  Mr.  Boardman  at 
the  Rotterdam,  and  he  was  friendly  with  him. 

The  denouement  of  this  incident  really  belongs  a 
little  later  in  my  story,  but  for  the  sake  of  continuity 
I  will  give  it  here. 

I  soon  saw  that  I  would  have  no  difficulty  in  win- 
ning Ralph's  full  confidence.  His  gratitude  for 
friendliness  was  very  affecting.     I  could  see  that  he 


Thieves'  Wit 


253 

I  let  him 


often  wished  to  bare  his  painful  secret 
take  his  own  time  about  it. 

It  was  the  doctor's  offering  him  a  position  in  a 
friend's  office  that  brought  matters  to  a  head. 
Ralph  refused  it  with  a  painful  air.  He  could  give 
no  reason  for  it  to  the  doctor.  Afterwards  when  I 
had  him  alone  with  me  I  saw  that  it  was  coming. 

"That  certainly  was  decent  of  Dr. ,"  he  said 

diffidently,     "I  don't  know  why  he's  so  good  to  me." 
"Oh,  you're  not  a  bad  sort  of  boy,"  I  said  lightly. 
"You,  too,"  he  said  shyly.     "Especially  you.     1— 
I  never  had  a  man  friend  before." 
I  smiled  encouragingly. 

"I  suppose  you  wonder  why  I  couldn't  take  the 
position?"  he  went  on. 
"That's  your  affair." 

"But  I  want  to  tell  you.     I— I  wouldn't  be  al- 
lowed to  take  it.     I  am  not  a  free  agent." 

"Perhaps  we  could  help  you  to  be  one,"  I  sug- 
gested. 

"I  don't  know.     Maybe  you  wouldn't  want  to 
have  anything  more  to  do  with  me.     Oh,  there's  a 
lot  I  want  to  tell  you  I"  he  cried  imploringly,     "But 
I  don't  know  how  you'll  take  it," 
"Try  me," 

"Would  you— would  you  kick  me  out,"  he  said, 
agitated  and  breathless,  "if  you  knew  that  my  dad 
had  committed  a  forgery,  if  you  knew  that  he  had 
died  in  prison  ?" 

"Why,  no,"  I  said  calmly,  "I  suspect  you  were  not 
responsible  for  that," 


254 


Thieves'  Wit 


A  sigh  of  relief  euaped  him.  "You  are  kind  I 
— But  that'i  only  the  beginning,"  he  went  on.  "But 
I  feel  I  can  tell  you  now.  I'm  in  an  awful  hole.  I 
suppose  you  will  think  I'm  a  weak  character  for  not 
trying  to  get  out  of  it  more,  and  I  am  weak,  but  I 
didn't  know  what  to  do  I" 

"Tell  me  all  about  it,"  I  said. 

And  he  did ;  all  about  Lorina  and  Foxy  and  Jumbo 
as  he  knew  them.  They  didn't  trust  him  far.  He 
knew  nothing  of  their  actual  operations,  but  his 
honest  young  heart  told  him  they  were  crooks. 
Lorina  held  him  under  a  spell  of  terror.  He  had 
not  up  to  this  time  been  able  to  conceive  of  the  idea 
of  escaping  her.  There  are  those  who  would  blame 
the  boy,  I  have  no  doubt,  but  I  am  not  one  of  them. 
I  have  seen  too  often  that  a  mind  which  may  after- 
wards become  strong  and  self-reliant  is  at  Ralph's 
age  fatally  subservient  to  older  minds.  Those  who 
would  blame  him  should  remember  that  until  he  mei 
the  doctor  and  me  he  had  not  a  disinterested  friend 
in  the  world.  They  must  grant  that  he  instantly  re- 
acted to  kindness  and  decent  feelings. 

"How  did  you  first  get  into  this  mess?"  I  asked, 
strongly  curious. 

"I'd  have  to  tell  you  my  whole  life  to  explain 
that." 

"Fire  away." 

I  will  give  3rou  Ralph's  story  somewhat  abridged. 

"My  mother  died  when  I  was  a  baby,"  he  said. 
"I  do  not  remember  her.  My  father  and  I  lived 
alone  with  servants  who  were  always  changing.     We 


Thieves'  Wit 


255 


did  not  seem  to  cttch  on  with  people.  I  mem,  we 
didn't  teeni  to  have  friend*  like  everybody  h«d.  I 
thought  this  was  strange  when  I  was  little.  My 
father  was  quite  an  old  man,  but  we  got  along  pretty 
well.  He  was  what  they  called  a  handwriting  ex- 
pert. He  wrote  books  about  handwriting.  Law- 
yers consulted  him,  and  he  gave  evidence  at  trials." 

"What  was  his  name?"  I  asked. 

"David  Andrus." 

Now  I  remembered  the  trial  of  David  Andrus, 
so  I  was  in  a  position  to  check  up  that  part  of  Ralph's 
story. 

"I  was  twelve  years  old,"  he  went  on,  "when  Mrs. 
Mansfield  first  began  coming  to  our  apartment.  I 
don't  know  where  or  how  my  father  met  her,  of 
course.  He  knew  her  pretty  well  already  when  I 
first  saw  her.  At  first  she  was  kind  to  me,  and 
brought  me  things,  and  I  was  fond  of  her.  I  told 
myself  we  had  a  friend  like  anybody  else  now.  I 
used  to  brag  about  her  in  school. 

"Bye  and  bye  I  found  out,  I  don't  know  how,  that 
she  was  a  sham,  that  her  kindness  meant  nothing. 
Little  by  little  I  began  to  hate  her,  though  I  was 
careful  not  to  let  her  see  it,  for  I  was  afraid  of  her 
cold  blue  eye.  Besides  my  father  became  more  and 
more  crazy  about  her.  He  seemed  to  lose  his  good 
sense  as  far  as  she  was  concerned.  She  could  make 
him  do  anything  she  wanted.  ChUdren  see  more 
than  they  are  supposed  to. 

"It  is  three  years  now  since  the  crash  came.  I 
was  fourteen  then.     One  day  my  father  was  arrested 


256 


Thieves'  Wit 


«nd  taken  to  the  Tomb>.  Mri.  Manifield  took  me 
to  her  houM,  not  the  same  one  the  has  now.  She 
treated  me  all  right,  but  I  hated  her.  Young  at  I 
wai  I  held  her  reipontible.     I  didn't  tee  much  of 

her.     I  don't  know  if  you  remember  the  trial ?" 

"Something  of  it,"  taid  I. 
"The  papert  were  full  of  it.  I  wat  not  allowed 
to  attend,  but,  of  courte,  I  got  hold  of  all  the  papert. 
They  taid  that  my  father  had  got  hold  of  blank  ttock 
certificatet  by  corrupting  young  derki,  and  had  then 
forged  tignaturei  to  them  and  told  them  on  the 
ttock  market.  He  wat  tentenced  to  Sing  Sing  for 
leven  yeart.  They  took  me  to  tee  him  before  he 
wat  tent  away.  He  had  aged  twenty  yeart.  He 
watn't  able  to  tay  much  to  me." 

"Mn.  Mantfield  told  me  I  mutt  change  my  name, 
and  tent  me  to  a  good  tchool  in  Connecticut.  She 
paid  the  billt.  I  wat  pretty  happy  there,  though 
thit  thing  wat  alwayt  hanging  over  my  head.  In  the 
tummen  I  wat  tent  away  to  a  boy't  camp  in  the 
mountaini.  Mrt.  Manifield  told  me  nobody  wat 
allowed  to  tee  my  father  or  to  write  to  him  and  I 
believed  her.  So  it  wat  the  tame  to  me  at  if  he 
had  died. 

"One  day  latt  winter  in  tchool  I  received  a  letter 
tigned  "Well-Wither,"  atking  me  to  meet  the  writer 
at  a  certain  tpot  in  the  tchool  woodt  that  afternoon. 
Naturally  I  wat  excited  by  the  myttery  and  all  that. 
I  wat  tcared,  too.  But  I  went.  I  didn't  tell  any- 
body." 

"I  found  a  queer  cuttomer  waiting  for  me.     A 


k.   


Thieves'  Wit 


357 


man  about  fifty  with  doic-cropped  hiir.  He  told 
me  right  off  that  he  was  ju«t  out  of  Sing  Sing.  Why 
hadn't  I  ever  come  to  lee  my  dad,  he  asked.  He 
•aid  it  was  pitiful  the  way  he  pined  for  me." 

"I  stammered  out  that  I  didn't  know  anybody 
could  see  him.     He  told  me  about  the  visiting  days. 
'Anyhow  you  could  have  written,'  he  said." 
"  'He  never  wrote  to  «.e,'  I  said. 
*'  'Sure,  doesn't  he  write  to  you  every  writing  day  I 
He  has  read  me  the  letters.    Elegant  letters." 
"  'I  never  got  them  I'  I  said." 
•That's  why  I  came,'  he  said.    'Dave  said  he 
thought  that  woman  had  come  between  you.' " 

"The  old  fellow  told  me  how  to  address  a  letter 
to  my  father,  and  he  gave  me  money  to  go  to  Sing 
Sing  when  I  could.  I  had  an  allowance  from  Mrs. 
Mansfield,  but  not  enough  for  that.  I  wrote  to  my 
father  that  night." 

"It  was  Easter  before  I  had  the  chance  to  see  my 
father.  I  made  out  to  Mrs.  Mansfield  that  the 
Khool  closed  a  day  later  than  it  did,  and  I  used  that 
day  to  go  to  Sing  Sing.  My  father  was  in  the  in- 
firmary.  I  scarcely  recognised  him.  They  let  me 
stay  all  day.  Even  I  could  see  that  he  was  dying." 
"For  the  first  time  I  heard  the  truth  of  the  case. 
It  was  Mrs.  Mansfield  who  had  got  the  certificates 
out  of  the  young  clerks,  and  had  brought  them  to 
my  father  to  be  fiUed  in.  When  they  were  found  out 
she  carried  on  so,  that  he  took  the  whole  thing  on 
hunself.  He  thought  he  might  as  weU,  since  he  had 
to  go  to  jail  anyway,  and  he  knew  he  would  die  there. 


25» 


Thieves'  Wit 


Bcudes  (he  promiMd  him  to  have  me  educated  and 
looked  after.  He  had  no  one  elM  to  leave  me  with. 
At  that  time  he  Mill  believed  in  her. 

"But  in  the  prison  he  met  men  who  knew  about 
her  of  old.  My  father  was  not  the  first  she  had 
been  the  means  of  landing  in  jail.  It  was  then  my 
father  began  to  be  afraid  for  me,  and  managed  to 
send  me  word. 

"He  died  in  April.  Mrs.  Mansfield  immediately 
took  me  out  of  school.  She  told  me  my  father  was 
dead,  and  that  it  w«s  time  I  went  to  work.  I  think 
she  must  have  learned  by  her  spies  that  I  had  been 
to  see  my  father,  for  she  no  longer  took  the  trouble 
to  put  on  a  good  face.  Now  it  was,  do  this  or  that 
or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you.  When  I  saw  how  all 
die  other  men  gave  in  to  her,  I  was  afraid  to  resist. 
I  hated  her,  but  what  could  I  do?  I  had  no  one  to 
go  to.  I  had  no  experience.  I  wasn't  sure  of  my- 
•elf.  The  understanding  up  there  is  that  Lorina 
could  reach  you  wherever  you  went.  And  if  you  did 
anything  to  cross  her,  look  out!  She  has  spies 
everywhere!" 

"I  wonder  why  she  didn't  turn  you  adrift  alto- 
gether?"  I  said. 

"I  think  I  am  useful  to  them  because  I  look  hon- 
est," the  boy  said  wretchedly.  "I  run  errands  for 
them,  but  I  never  know  what  it's  all  about." 

"Have  you  ever  heard  talk  up  there  of  a  boss 
greater  than  Mrs.  Mansfield?"  I  asked. 

He  nodded.  "But  only  vague  ulk.  I've  never 
seen  him." 


Thieves'  Wit 


259 


"Doe*  the  have  you  watched?"  I  aiked. 

"No.  She  think*  ihe  ha*  me  where  *he  want* 
me.    But  if  *he  *u*pccted  anything " 

"You  niu*tn't  come  here  again,"  I  *aid. 

Hi*  face  fell  ab*urdly. 

"Oh,  I'm  not  kicking  you  out,"  I  »aid  .m.Img. 
I  *baU  keep  m  touch  with  you.  Would  vou  like 
to  *ee  thi*  woman  go  to  jail  ?" 

u-  "^'?lil '  ^'.'  ***  "'"^'  i""P'"«  "P-     Wo/d^  failed 

WeU,  I  m  gomg  to  put  her  there,"  I  said.     "And 
you  *hall  help  me.    But  we  mutt  be  careful " 


25 

IN  the  meantime  Lorina  Mansfield,  weary  of  the 
inaction  I  had  forced  on  her,  or  persuaded  per- 
haps that  I  had  dropped  the  pursuit,  boldly  resumed 

her  designs  on  Mrs. , 's  diamond  necklace.     For 

convenience'  sake  I  shall  call  this  lady  Mrs.  Lever- 
ing. He  real  naihe  is  one  to  conjure  with  in 
America. 

Mr.  Dunsany  or  "English"  reported  that  he  had 
been  detailed  to  go  to  Newport  on  Saturday  to  spy 
on  the  lady,  and  what  should  he  do  about  ic?  The 
plucky  gentleman  who  never  hesitated  to  put  him- 
self in  danger,  became  uneasy  when  it  was  a  ques- 
tion of  actually  committing  a  crime. 

We  arranged  a  chat  over  the  telephone,  and  I 
gave  him  the  best  reasons  for  going  ahead  with  the 
scheme.  We  had  so  much  to  talk  over  that  I  told 
him  I  would  go  up  to  New  England  by  a  different 
route,  and  if  he  was  not  spied  upon  he  could  come  to 
me  at  Providence  early  on  Sunday  and  we  could  go 
over  everything.  All  the  time  we  had  been  working 
together  we  had  never  exchanged  a  word  face  to 
face  in  our  natural  characters. 

We  succeeded  in  pulling  off  the  meeting,  Mr. 
Dunsany  assured  me  he  had  not  been  followed.  We 
laid  out  our  plan  of  campaign.  I  convinced  him 
that  the  quickest  and  surest  way  to  land  the  whole 


Thieves'  Wit 


261 


gang  would  be  to  aUow  them,  even  to  assist  them, 
to  carry  out  a  robbery  from  start  to  finish.  Lei 
them  steal  Mrs.  Levering',  jewels,  I  said,  let  them 
get^dean   away   with   them.     Wc'U   return   them 

"Suppose  some  one  gets  hurt,"  he  said  nervously. 
we  will  be  on  our  guard. 

d^e  a,e  he  would  fee  obliged  to  give  her  another 
necklace  of  equal  value.  This  was  a  matter  of 
$90,000. 

3^  T»"°^  *°'"8^  *°  ^"^  ^"'^'^  on  it."  I  said. 
^   What  followed  can  best  be  told  by  Mr.  Dunsany's 

Report  of  J.  M.    #15 

Newport.  Sunday,  July  Ath. 
My  patience  was  rewarded  shortly  before  noon  to- 
day  by  the  s.ght  of  Mrs.  Levering  walking  to  the 

to  r°  "Ql°"!fT'"^  ^^  "  «•"""*  gentleman  unknown 
tome.  t»he  did  not  notice  me.  of  course.  If  I  had' 
been  m  my  own  person  I  warrant  she  would  not 
have  passed  me  .0  indifiFerently.  What  marveUou* 
faculty  IS  It  that  enables  a  lady  to  know  without  look, 
mg  at  a  man  whether  he  is  worth  looking  at? 

vJrJT  '"••^'^'^  "y^'f  t**"  she  was  wearing  her 
veritable  diamonds.  Foolish  womani  Whfn  I 
sold  them  to  her  I  warned  her  not  to  exhibit  them 
«  pubic.    At  the  time  there  wa.  a  lot  o*  gp,^ 


262 


Thieves'  Wit 


I 


i      :i: 


about  what  Levering  paid  me  for  the  neddace,  and 
I  suppose  every  thief  in  the  country  has  it  on  his  list. 
But  Cora  Levering  was  always  feather-headed. 

I  telegraphed  to  Lorina  m  the  code  we  had  agreed 
on,  and  had  my  dinner  while  I  waited  for  her  answer. 
It  came  presently,  instructing  me  to  meet  her  in  a 
certain  hotel  in  Providence  to-morrow,  two-thirty. 
To-morrow  being  a  holiday,  I  am  not  expected  at 
Ounsany's.  This  means  that  I  have  to  put  in  a 
long,  empty  twenty-four  hours  here.  The  place  is 
full  of  my  friends  "eating  and  drinking  themselves 
black  in  the  face,  while  I  have  to  stay  at  a  fourth-rate 
hotel. 

To-morrow  night  there  Is  going  to  be  a  great 
entertainment  at  Fernhurst,  one  of  the  palaces  on 
the  cliffs. 


J.M. 


#i6 


Newport,  July  5/A,  9  P.M. 

All  is  set  for  the  drama  tocnight,  and  I  am 
nervously  awaiting  my  cue.  Heaven  knows  what  the 
not  few  hours  may  bring  forth!  When  you  read 
this  it  may  be  up  to  you  to  get  me  out  of  jail.  If 
we  pull  it  off  all  right  I  have  no  doubt  the  newspapers 
will  say,  as  they  always  do,  that  tht  robbery  gave 
evidence  of  long  and  careful  planning,  whereas  it 
was  all  fixed  up  in  a  few  minutes. 

I  went  over  to  Providence  to-day  shortly  before 
the  hour  set  by  Lorina,  and  found  Foxy  waiting 


Thieves*  Wit 


263 


at  the  hotel  she  named.  Lorina  herself,  he  said, 
was  in  Newport  looking  over  the  ground,  and  would 
be  back  directly.  It  seems  that  hearing  of  the  affair 
at  Fernhurst  they  had  determined  to  turn  the  trick 
the  same  night. 

Lorina  came  bringing  a  good-looking,  welWressed 
young  fellow  whom  she  introduced  to  the  crowd  as 
Frank.  He  was  evidently  a  youngster  of  the 
fashionable  world,  one  cannot  mistake  the  little  ear- 
marks.    He  has  a  look  of  the family;  one  of 

the  younger  sons,  maybe,  whom  drink  and  the  devil 
have  done  for.  At  any  rate,  he  is  completely  under 
Lorina's  thumb  like  the  rest. 

Lorina  was  playing  the  part  of  a  traveller  in 
books— religious  books  if  you  please  I  She  dressed 
the  business  woman  plain  and  handsome,  and  had 
engaged  a  private  sitting-room  for  the  day  to  show 
her  samples.  There  was  actually  a  whole  trunk 
full  of  sample  books.  I  suppose  she  passed  us  off 
as  her  agents  or  customers. 

She  had  us  all  in  the  sitting-room  together.  Be- 
sides Frank,  Foxy  and  myself,  there  was  a  fourth 
man  whom  I  recognised  as  her  chauffeur.  His  name 
i»  Jim.  She  proceeded  to  lay  out  her  campaign  in 
the  most  matter-of-fact  way  without  wasting  a  word. 
It  might  have  been  the  sales-manager  instructing  the 
drummers  in  the  Fall  line.  Nobody  seemed  nervous 
except  Frank,  who  was  apparently  new  at  the  game. 
The  entertainment  at  Fernhurst  provided  our  op- 
portunity. It  appeared  that  Frank  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  Mrs.  Levering,  and  that  by  Lorina's 


264 


Thieves'  Wit 


jn»truction$  he  had  been  particularly  cultivating  her 
society  of  late.  He  was  to  be  the  decoy.  Further- 
more,  he  drew  for  us  with  rather  a  shaky  hand,  a 
plan  of  the  house  and  grounds  at  Femhurst,  show- 
ing the  location  of  roads,  paths,  benches,  shrubbery, 
etc.  Lorina  used  this  plan  in  issuing  her  instruc- 
tions. 

..u'^ir"/"*  "  *°  '"^"  "*  nine-thirty,"  she  said, 
but  all  the  guests  will  not  have  arrived  until  nearly 
midnight  So  we  will  fix  on  midnight  to  turn  the 
trick,  or  as  soon  after  as  possible.  We  have  decided 
on  this  bench  that  I  have  marked  with  a  cross  for 
the  spot.  Get  its  position  well  fixed  in  your  mind, 
all  of  you.  It  is  quite  a  way  from  the  house  you  see, 
few,  if  any,  of  the  dancers  will  go  so  far.  It  is 
off  the  main  paths.  It  is  near  the  street  fence,  but 
IS  hidden  from  the  street  by  this  dense  shrubbery 
behind  it. 

"Mrs.  Levering  has  promised  Frank  the  first 
dance  after  she  arrives.  He  will  then  make  an  en- 
pgement  with  her  for  another  dance  to  fall  just 
before  midnight  as  near  as  he  can  figure  it,  and  after 
dancing  with  her  the  second  time  will  take  her  out 
to  this  bench. 

Foxy  and  English  will  already  be  in  hiding  in  the 
shrubbery  behind  the  bench.  Foxy  has  an  invitation 
to  the  affair,  and  he  will  go  in  evening  dress  and  mix 
with  the  guests  until  he  sees  Frank  dancing  with 
Mrs.  Levering  the  second  time.  He  will  then  go 
out  of  the  house  and  conceal  himself  in  the  shrub- 
bery. 


Thieves'  Wit 


26s 


must  be  there  by  eleven  to  make  sure.     English 
wears  his  ordinary  clothes,  and  slips  in  by  the  service 
entrance  to  the  grounds,  marlced  on  the  plan  here 
Once  ms.de  the  gates  he  must  make  his  way  under 
cover  to  the  shrubbery  behind  the  bench.     English 

Tr  -^7  ''^u^'^  °':,"""*  ^°'  f °^  ^l-i^h  will  be 
provided  There  will  be  a  mask  in  one  side  pocket, 
a  cap  m  the  other.  As  soon  as  you  two  meet.  Fo« 
will  put  on  the  things.  ' 

stmple.  Frank  is  keeping  Mrs.  Levering  in  conver- 
sation  on  the  bench.  Foxy  sneaks  up  behind  with 
the  nippers  cuts  the  necklace,  and  tosses  it  back  to 
li.nglish,  who  remains  in  the  bushes. 

"The  woman  will  scream,  of  course.  Foxy  will 
stand  up  and  show  himself,  and  run  in  this  direction, 
that  IS,  towards  the  house.     Frank  will  take  after 

F„"L  n"  7*l\  '"'^  *•""  «°  '"^'^  *°  the  woman. 
Foxy  will  double  around  this  shrubbery  that  con- 
ceals  the  stable  entrance.  As  soon  as  he  is  out  of 
sight  of  the  woman  he  will  throw  off  the  cap,  mask 
and  coat,  and  go  back  to  Mrs.  Levering  as  one  of 
the  first  attracted  by  her  cries.  If  ,hc  does  not  cry 
out,  he  can  mix  with  the  crowd  in  the  house  until  he 
nas  a  chance  to  make  a  getaway 

Meanwhile,  English  lies  quiet  in  the  shrubbery 
until  the  excitement  has  passed  out  of  the  vicinity, 
rhen  he  slips  out  by  the  service  gate,  the  same  way 

sJt    !!"- .  ^.""  '"'"  ^'  ^"'''"^  ^'^'^  *«  ««•  "bout 
five  hundred  feet  beyond  the  service  entrance,  to- 


266 


Thieves'  Wit 


owl  train  back  to  J^ew  York     T:l  '    .  '^  *'"' 

cn^lt"  hrL"^'  *^.lf  ""T    '^'  *'  ""  •>" 


Thieves'  Wit 


267 


"I  used  to  be  known  as  a  runner.  TheyTl  think 
It  funny  I  wasn't  able  to  catch  Foxy  " 

"Catch  him  then,"  said  Lorina  coolly.  "Struggle 
with  him.  He  wiU  throw  you  off.  That  wilHe! 
you  out.  won't  it?     Rehearse  it  now"    "'""'" 

It  was  a  grim  kind  of  play.     Everybody  took  it 

fa'^eLrrf  r"^  ?"'''  ""  P'''"'^  to  represent  the 
fateful  bench.    Lonna  and  Frank  took  seats  on  it 

«pre«ntle   '1?  "'  "^^  ""^^  ''"  -"   0 

fnd  told  >7  T"'  ^°"'"'^'  ""'PP'^l  ^h'  «"ng 
and  tossed  .t  back  to  me.     His  implement  was  a 

pair  of  heavy  nail  clippers  such  as  manicure!  use 

Then  as  Foxy  made  off,  Frank  flung  himself  upon 

h.m.^they  struggled  and  Frank  was  thrown  to 'he 

AH  this  was  gone  over  again  and  again.    Some 
buttons  were  tied  on  the  piece  of  string  so  thati 
would  carry  when  it  was  thrown  back  to  me.     Foxv's 
stage  expenence  proved  serviceable.     He  acted  as 
d.rec  or.  showmg  Frank  how  to  tackle  him,  and  ho" 

of  Ji  r  ri  ''"'""«  ^'"'''^^-  Lorina's  depiction 
of  the  startled  woman  was  admirable.  The  whole 
scene  would  have  been  funny  if  it  hadn't  beln  so 
gnm.  xNone  of  them  seemed  to  be  aware  of  any 
hunaour  m  the  proceedings  but  me.  Jim.  wSo  Sd 
not  take  part  m  the  scene,  acted  as  critic.  He  stood 
off  makmg  suggestions. 
Finally,  Lorina  announced  that  it  was  only  ten 

irank  and  Foxy  might  go  off  by  themselves  and 


Thieves'  Wit 


268 

pnicticeiftheyfeltit„ece..ary.     Wc  .cattered     T 

sr:'r::f  ;f  '"'*''  •"  NcwpoAxt j 

It  i.  nn      •      .•?""'  ""  •«"  ""y  °f  them  .ince. 

together,  and  my  teeth  to  chatter. 

J.M. 


26 

Report  of  J.  M.    No.  17 

WHPV  I  .    Providence,  i  jjo  A.M. 

unmntakably.     Th,»  was  diKonccrting.     I  p,„ed 

Za  7t'\^''"^r^  ^'-o-g*'  with  thciTginuS  eye. 
and  I  broke  out  in  a  gentle  sweat  all  over.  Prel 
ently  however,  I  realised  it  was  but  their  profet 
«onaI  manner  of  looking  at  anybody  who  w.. t,^ 
well  dressed,  and  I  calmed  down. 

It  filled  me  with  .  kind  of  terror  to  think  that  1 
n..ght  be  prevented  from  carrying  out  my  paJt  o 
the  evening',  entertainment.  .o%ou  will  see  I  was 

tne  block  and  prepared  to  try  again.  On  my  wav 
towards  the  service  gate  I  had  Se  luck^o  f^ !I 
with  a  crowd  of  waiters  clearly  bound  for  the  .h„^ 

M  irerrtt "  -" '° "« -  wifh\£r 

S;:;^.S^f--^^Herewasn:;2:S 

169 


270 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  had  to  wait  over  an  hour  for  Foxy.  It  was  not 
a  pleasant  time.  Lorina's  plan  seemed  perfect,  but 
you  never  can  tell.  And  my  inexperience  in  this  line 
was  such  that  I  didn't  feel  overmuch  confidence  in 
myself  should  an  emergency  arise.  Not  far  behind 
me  I  could  hear  the  steady  procession  of  motors 
bringing  guests  to  the  party.  In  the  distance  I  could 
hear  the  music.  They  had  picked  their  spot  well. 
In  all  that  time  no  one  passed  that  way. 

In  the  end  Foxy's  coming  gave  me  a  great  start. 
Creeping  through  the  bushes  without  the  rustle  of  a 
leaf,  he  was  beside  me  before  I  heard  him  coming. 
He  was  dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion.  I  caught 
a  gleam  of  a  monocle  dangling  against  his  white 
waistcoat.  I  silently  passed  him  over  the  coat  I 
had  brou^t,  and  standing  in  a  little  open  space,  he 
put  it  on  together  with  the  cap  and  mask.  Then  we 
crouched  down  side  by  side  under  the  leaves,  with  the 
back  of  the  bench  in  plain  view  before  us.  Foxy 
laid  the  nippers  on  the  ground  ready  to  his  hand. 
We  did  not  speak  to  each  other. 

Bye  and  bye  we  heard  voices  approaching,  and  my 
poor  heart  set  up  a  tremendous  how-de-do.  On  the 
other  hand  something  told  me  Foxy  was  enjoying  it. 
Mrs.  Levering  and  the  young  man  called  Frank  came 
strolling  dimly  into  view.  I  was  nearly  suffocating 
with  excitement. 

"This  is  the  place,"  Fra.nk  said. 

"How  cosy  I"  she  sang. 

"Shall  we  sit  down?"  he  suggested. 

"Let's  I"  said  she.     "I'll  have  a  cigarette." 


Thieves'  Wit  271 

.he  had  looked  over  her  .houldcr  .he  would  h.ve 
.een  the  g,„e  ,.J„tly  reflected  fron,  our  whlJe  f .«. 
I  stole  a  look  >t  Foxy',  ratlike  profile.  He  had 
.hoved  up  the  m.,k.  Hi,  teeth  were  bared.  He 
wa.  amused  at  the  pro.pect  of  a  little  Kandalou. 
eamdropprng.     Merciful  Heaven.  1  what  !!  faceT 

two  "on  thTV'T  f '  '""''"  conversation  of  the 
two  on  the  bench.     It  was  merely  .illy.     Frank'. 

rS/"/"'""'i'«u.    '  '"PP""  •»''  ..cribed  tha 
fool  '       ^"  '"""«•  '"'  •>"•    She  i,  a 

Foxy  gave  them  a  good  while  to  their  talk 
Frank  no  doubt  wor.e.     I  at  lea«  could  ,ee  when 

until  M  ^"  *°  •"«  *"  ^""'  ''«  ''^  ""»d  not.  Not 
unt  Mrs.  Levenng  said  she  must  go  back,  but  not 
really  meanmg  ,t  yet,  did  Foxy  pull  down  the  mask 
and  creep  forward.     I  held  my  breath 

It  seemed  as  if  it  were  all  accomplished  in  a  sinele 
movement  Foxy  rose  to  his  knees  behind  the 
woman,  smpped  the  shining  thing  around  her  neck.-! 

drln  il'- """  ''""«  "'  ""y  •"«»•     I  mechanically 
dropped  It  m  my  pocket.  ^ 

hUnA  "^  «,^°*  '"?,"•  ^"  *"*•  «  '"«'  »he  showed 
Mood.  "My  necklace  I"  .he  gasped,  jumping  up 
hand  to  throat.     "Gone  I"  .  jumping  up, 

pinl"o?r'''.'  -'f,  ?"'''"«  ^'y  °"»  ''"'d  the  snap. 
P'ng  of  the  frightful  tension  he  had  been  under. 

the  h!!!!'K     *  !T°"  ''°'*'*''  '^""'^  "P  f'*""  behind 
the  bench,  and  headed  diagonally  across  the  path 


mxoeorf  msowtion  tbt  cha*t 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


mv^i 


1.6 


^  /APPLIED  ItvMGE    Inc 

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^TJS  Rochaattr.  Naw  York        U609       USA 

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272 


Thieves'  Wit 


Another  gasping  cry,   not  loud,   broke  from   the 
woman.     "There  he  is  I" 

Frank  flung  himself  on  the  back  of  the  runner, 
and  they  rolled  over  on  the  ground,  all  exactly  as  I 
had  seen  it  rehearsed  a  dozen  times  in  the  hotel 
room.  They  sprang  up,  grappled,  swayed  and 
finally  Frank  was  flung  with  apparently  great  vio- 
lence to  the  ground.     Foxy  disappeared. 

Frank  struggled  to  his  feet,  seemingly  hurt.  He 
attempted  to  stagger  in  the  direction  the  fugitive 
had  taken,  but  Mrs.  Levering  clung  to  him.  One 
may  suppose  he  was  not  sorry  to  be  prevented. 

At  this  moment  the  tragic-farce  was  interrupted 
by  the  entrance  of  an  actor  not  on  the  bill.  This 
was  a  man  with  an  electric  flash,  a  detective  to  all 
appearances.  I  suppose  they  had  them  posted  about 
the  grounds,  and  this  man  had  heard  the  disturb- 
ance, slight  though  it  was.  The  flash  terrified  me. 
I  softly  and  precipitately  retired  under  the  leaves 
into  the  thickest  of  the  shrubbery. 

"I  have  been  robbed!"  I  heard  Mrs.  Levering 
gasp.  "My  diamond  necklace!  He  came  from 
there.    He  went  that  way." 

The  detective  threw  his  light  around.  Fortu- 
nately for  me  I  had  put  a  screen  of  leaves  in  front 
of  me.  I  was  not  disposed  to  linger  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. I  ran  along  close  to  the  fence  where 
there  was  a  narrow  open  space.  As  I  passed  out  of 
hearing,  I  heard  others  come  running  up.  Excite- 
ment runs  like  electricity.  I  had  no  doubt  that  Foxy 
in  immaculate  evening  dress,  was  among  the  first  to 


Thieves'  Wit 


273 


reach  the  scene.  I  took  care  to  survey  the  service 
gate  from  a  discreet  distance  before  presenting  my- 
self there.  It  was  well  that  I  did  so.  I  saw  that 
it  was  closed,  and  the  two  men  still  on  guard.  Not 
knowing  at  what  instant  an  alarm  might  be  raised 
behind  me,  I  dared  not  apply  to  them  with  any  tale 
however  ingenious.  Those  diamonds  were  red  hot 
in  my  pocket.  On  the  other  hand,  I  would  have  to 
retrace  my  steps  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  reach 
the  main  entrance,  and  I  was  not  suitably  dressed  to 
be  seen  there.  I  could  not  climb  the  fence  at  any 
point,  for  it  was  a  smooth,  high  iron  affair,  more- 
over, the  street  outside  was  brightly  lighted.  I 
knew  nothing  about  the  cliff  side  of  the  grounds. 

For  a  moment  or  two  I  felt  decidedly  panicky. 
Before  my  mind's  eye  headlines  in  the  next  day's 
papers  were  vividly  emblazoned: 

"WELL-KNOWN  JEWELLER  STEALS  THE 
DIAMONDS    HE  SOLD" 

or  something  like  that.  Finally  I  recollected  that 
the  road  to  the  service  entrance  of  Femhurst  ran 
quite  close  to  the  boundary  of  the  next  estate.  I 
determined  to  try  that  way. 

To  reach  the  boundary  I  was  obliged  to  make  a 
long  detour.  Still  there  were  no  sounds  behind  me 
to  indicate  that  an  alarm  had  been  raised,  at  any 
rate  a  public  alarm.  The  line  between  the  two  es- 
tates was  marked  by  a  thorn  hedge  and  a  wire  fence. 
Choosing  a  dark  spot  I  managed  to  struggle  through 


274 


Thieves'  Wit 


without  receiving  any  serious  damage.  I  finally 
gained  the  street  through  the  service  gate  of  this 
place. 

This  brought  me  out  beyond  the  point  where  Jim 
was  to  be  stationed  with  the  motor  car,  and  I  had  to 
retrace  my  steps.  The  car  was  in  the  appointed 
spot.  Jim  was  on  the  front  seat  with  his  head 
craned  m  the  other  direction  whence  he  expected  me 
I  gave  him  a  little  signal.  He  was  much  troubled 
to  see  me  come  from  that  way  thinking  the  plan  had 
fallen  through,  but. was  reassured  no  doubt  by  the 
fall  of  the  necklace  on  the  floor  of  his  car.  I  was 
thankful  to  be  rid  of  the  cursed  thing. 

There  were  several  cars  standing  across  the  street, 
with  their  chauffeurs  chatting  together,  and  I  was 
afraid  of  attracting  attention  to  myself  or  to  Jim  by 
turning  back  at  that  moment.  I  kept  on.  I  was 
startled  half  out  of  my  wits  when  a  motor  patrol 
wagon  full  of  police  came  flying  up  the  street  past 
me.  It  turned  in  at  the  service  gate  of  Femhurst 
ahead.  Since  I  was  traveUing  in  that  direction  I 
had  to  keep  on. 

A  man  stepped  out  as  I  approached.  Seizing  my 
shoulder  he  swung  me  half  around  so  that  the  light 
fell  on  my  face.  "What  are  you  doing  here?"  he 
demanded. 

I  thought  it  was  all  up  with  me.  "I  just  wanted 
to  have  a  look  at  the  swells,"  I  stammered. 

Another  man  joined  him.  "Hold  this  guy,"  said 
the  first.  While  the  second  man  kept  a  hand  twisted 
in  my  collar,  the  first  one  frisked  me  expeditiously 


Thieves'  Wit 


275 


I  had  'aken  care,  of  course,  not  to  have  anything  on 
me.  But  the  side  pocket  of  my  coat  was  still  hot 
from  the  diamonds. 

Finding  nothing  the  man  growled  an  order  for 
my  release.  The  second  man  spun  me  around,  and 
propelled  me  towards  town  with  a  shove.  "Get  the 
H — : —  out  of  here!"  said  he. 

And  I  did. 

J.M. 


27 


Report  of  J.  M.    No.  i8 

INew  York,  July  6th,  Midnight. 
HAVE  just  r-iturned  from  a  celebration  up  at 
Lorina's  house.  Everybody  made  a  clean  get- 
away last  night,  and  the  diamonds  are  safe  in 
Lorina's  desk,  so  the  gang  made  merry.  The  news- 
paper stories  of  the  affair  caused  us  the  greatest 
amusement.  The  police,  as  you  have  seen,  are  very 
wide  of  the  mark.  Of  us  all,  only  Frank  has  fallen 
under  suspicion.  It  appears  that  I  was  right  in  my 
guess  as  to  his  identity.  The  affair  will  ruin  him 
socially,  though  it  is  not  likely  to  lead  to  his  arrest. 
I  can't  say  that  I  feel  sorry  for  the  youth.  Of  all 
the  parts  in  this  sordid  drama,  Frank,  the  decoy 
played  the  most  contemptible. 

In  the  general  loosening  of  tongues  to-night  I  have 
some  rather  interesting  matter  to  report.  When  I 
arrived  at  the  house  all  the  gang  except  Lorina  were 
in  the  dining-room.  Spencer,  the  negro,  told  me 
she  was  up  in  the  office,  so  I  went  up-stairs  to  make 
my  report.  The  office  door  was  open  a  crack,  and 
as  I  was  about  to  knock  I  heard  Lorina's  voice  with- 
in. She  was  talking  over  the  telephone.  The  first 
sound  of  her  voice  froze  me  where  I  stood  in  aston- 
ishment. The  tone  was  that  of  a  woman  distracted 
by  love  and  longinn;.  Think  of  it,  Lorina  I 
276 


Thieves'  Wit 


277 


I  he«rd  her  say:  "I'll  do  anything  you  tell  me. 
But  I  want  to  see  you.  I  must  see  you  sometimes, 
dearie.  What  is  the  use  of  all  this  working  and 
worrying,  what  am  I  doing  it  for  if  you  never  even 
let  me  see  you  ?  I  can't  stand  it.  I  can't  go  on.  I 
won't  stand  it  I" 

Do  you  wonder  that  I  was  amazed? 

There  was  a  silence,  and  she  went  on  in  a  broken, 
humbled  tone:  "No — I  didn't  mean  that.  I  will 
obey  you.  You  always  know  best.  But  don't  be 
so  hard  on  me.     Please,  dearie,  please— ^-\" 

At  this  point  Foxy  came  running  up-stairs.  I  was 
caught  rather  awkwardly. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  he  demanded. 

"I  came  up-stairs  to  report  to  Mrs.  Mansfield,"  I 
said,  "but  I  don't  like  to  disturb  her.  She  seems  to 
be  having  a  private  conversation." 

He  listened  at  the  door  for  a  moment,  then  pulled 
me  away. 

"Beat  it!"  said  he.  "She's  talking  to  the  boss. 
She'd  kill  us  if  she  found  us  here." 

One  other  thing  that  I  had  heard  Lorina  say  was : 
"Then  I'll  keep  the  coal  here,  until  I  hear  from  you 
again." 

"Coal"  or  "white  coal"  is  their  slang  for  dia- 
monds, so  I  suppose  she  meant  the  necklace. 

I  returned  down-stairs  full  of  speculations  regard- 
ing this  wonderful  and  mysterious  "boss."    What 
kind  of  man  must  he  be,  thus  to  bring  the  imperious 
Lorina  who  commands  us  like  slaves,  to  her  knees? 
Frank  was  not  present  at  the  party  in  the  dining- 


278 


Thieves'  Wit 


room.  He  is  not  a  regular  member  of  the  gang. 
Besides  Foxy,  Jumbo,  Jim  the  chauffeur  and  myself, 
there  were  several  of  the  younger  fellows,  but  not 
Blondy,  I  am  glad  to  say,  for  I  should  not  like  to 
see  that  nice  boy  drinking.  Lorina  appeared  only 
once  or  twice  and  then  but  for  a  moment.  The 
lady's  gaiety  was  forced.  However,  she  was  liberal 
in  her  hospitality.     Champagne  flowed  like  water. 

Jumbo  got  very  drunk  and  even  Foxy  drank 
enough  to  make  him  indiscreet.  It  was  then  that 
interesting  ancient  history  was  retold.  It  would 
astonish  you  to  see  Foxy  at  such  moments.  There 
is  nothing  about  him  of  the  dull,  prosy  bore  that  he 
ordinarily  affects. 

Jumbo  was  toasting  him  with  maudlin  praise. 
"Drink  to  Foxy,  fellows  I"  he  cried.  "There's  the 
lad  that  brings  home  the  bacon  I  The  slickest, 
smoothest  article  of  them  alll" 

Foxy  took  it  as  no  more  than  his  due. 
"Say,  Foxy,"  asked  another  admirer,  "what  was 
the  hardest  trick  you  ever  turned?" 

Naturally  I  have  to  let  others  ask  these  questions. 

Curiosity  on  my  part  would  be  prejudicial  to  my 

health.    I  am  on  the  qui  vive  for  the  replies,  though. 

"Oh,  six  months  ago,  when  I  lifted  an  actress' 

pearls,"  drawled  Foxy. 

Fancy  how  I  pricked  up  my  ears. 
"Tell  us  about  it,"  said  the  same  youngster. 
All  the  young  ones  sit  at  Foxy's  feet,  you  under- 
stand. 

Foxy  was  nothing  loath.     "Elegant  pearls,"  he 


Thieves*  Wit 


279 


said  reminiscently,  "blue  pearls,  they  called  them, 
though  I  couldn't  see  the  blue.  But  fine  and  choice  I 
It  was  a  long  operation.  I  had  to  take  a  job  acting 
in  her  company  a  couple  of  months  beforehand. 
You  see  she  kept  the  real  pearls  in  a  safety  deposit 
box,  and  wore  a  phony  string,  which  added  to  our 
difficulties.  First  I  had  to  persuade  her  to  wear 
the  real  pearls  one  night." 

"How  did  you  do  that?"  somebody  asked. 
"I  egged  on  the  leading  man  to  make  a  bet  with 
her  that  he  could  tell  the  real  from  the  phony." 
"Was  he  in  with  you?" 

"No,  indeed.     Innocent  as  a  lamb.     He  didn't 
know  that  I  put  the  idea  in  his  mind." 

"Foxy  is  a  wonder  to  manage  1"  put  in  Jumbo. 
"After  the  bet  was  made,  we  had  the  actress 
trailed  every  day  until  she  went  to  the  bank  and 
got  out  her  pearls.  Then  we  knew  she  would  weai 
them  that  night.  She  wore  them  in  the  first  act.  In 
the  seco.nd  she  had  on  a  nurse's  costume,  and  had  to 
leave  them  off.  My  next  job  was  to  get  her  maid  out 
of  the  dressing-room  during  the  second  act.  I  man- 
aged this  by  having  it  gossiped  around  the  company 
that  the  star  was  going  to  introduce  some  new  busi- 
ness chat  night,  and  so  the  maid  went  out  to  look  on, 

see  ?    So  I  went  in  her  dressing-room " 

"How  did  you  get  in  ?"  asked  some  one. 

"Walked  in  straight  as  if  I  had  a  good  right  to. 

There  was  no  other  way.     I  frisked  the  room,  but 

could  only  find  one  string  of  pearls.     You  see,  I 

counted  on  two,  the  phony  and  the  real.     I  couldn't 


28o 


Thieves'  Wit 


i 


tell  which  was  which.  I  had  arranged  to  have  a 
fellow  who  was  in  with  us,  a  pearl  expert  call  on 
me  between  the  acts.  I  saw  him  at  the  stage  door, 
and  showed  him  the  string  I  had.  He  said  they 
werj  phony.     So  I  had  to  do  it  all  over. 

"During  the  third  act,  however,  luck  was  with  me. 
The  actress'  maid  not  having  seen  anything  new  in 
the  second  act  left  the  dressing-room  of  her  own  ac 
cord  to  watch  the  scene.  I  went  in  again.  This  time 
I  found  the  real  thing  in  a  pocket  of  the  petticoat 
she  had  worn  in  the  second  act.  I  left  the  phony 
strmg  in  its  place. 

"And  they  never  got  on  to  you!"  said  his  ad- 
mirer. 

"Nahl  That  was  where  Enderby  came  in.  He 
fixed  the  crime  on  the  young  leading  man  and  broke 
up  the  show.  Lord!  I  laughed.  It  let  me  out, 
too.  I  was  sick  of  the  fool  business  of  acting  every 
night.  It  wasn't  till  lately  that  Enderby  got  it  in 
his  head  that  he'd  made  a  mistake.  It's  too  late 
now.  The  pearls  have  been  sold  and  the  swae 
divided."  * 

Jumbo  took  a  hand  in  the  tale  at  this  point.  "Let 
me  tell  you  the  joke  about  selling  the  pearls,"  said 
he.  "Me  and  slim  Foley  set  up  an  elegant  office  on 
Maiden  Lane,  with  stenographers  and  office  boys 
and  all,  everything  swell.  We  were  brokers  in 
precious  stones,  see?  We  sent  out  decoy  letters  to 
the  leading  man  Foxy  mentioned,  and  I'lii  blest  if 
we  didn't  seU  him  the  string  of  pearls  back  again. 


Thieves'  Wit 


281 


Then  he  gave  them  to  the  actn ». ,  the  fool,  and  she 
fired  him  and  bust  up  the  company." 

"But  I  don't  understand,"  said  the  young  fellow, 
"what  did  you  want  to  sell  them  to  him  for?  Risky 
business  I  should  say." 

"Don't  ask  me,"  said  Jumbo  with  a  shrug. 
"Orders  from  higher  up." 

This  suggests  a  new  line  of  thought,  doesn't  it? 

During  one  of  Lorina's  brief  visits  to  the  dining- 
room,  she  was  pleased  to  commend  me  for  my  work 
last  night.  Sh;  asked  me  to  come  to  her  down-town 
office  to-morrow  afternoon  as  soon  as  I  finished 
work.  I  enclose  the  card  she  gave  me  with  *-«r  ad- 
dress.*    Subtle  irony,  eh? 

To-morrow  night  I'll  report  on  what  happens 
there. 

J.M. 

J.M.     #19 

New  York,  July  yth. 
The  number  on  Fifth  avenue  given  me  was  not  a 
great  distance  from  Dunsany's  and  I  was  there  by 
5:15  this  afternoon.  It  is  one  of  the  older  office 
buildings  and  is  filled  with  the  most  respectable 
tenants,  mostly  firms  engaged  in  some  form  of  re- 
ligious business:  publishers,  mission  boards,  church 

•The  card  enclotcd  by  Mr.  Dunsany  read: 

THE  EARNEST  WORKERS  PUBLISHING  CO., 

No.  —  Fifth  Av.-nue,  Ne\»  York. 
Mri.  Lorina  Manifield,  Manager. 


282 


Thieves'  Wit 


•uppliei,  etc.     It  ii  amusing  to  think  of  Lorina  in 
luch  company. 

Lorina't  office,  of  course,  was  no  whit  less  respec- 
table in  appearance  than  a  hundred  others  in  the 
building.  There  was  a  respectable  elderly  steno- 
grapher, a  subdued  office  boy,  and  Lorina  herself 
playing  her  part  of  the  saleswoman  of  religious 
literature  in  a  starched  shirt  waist.  She  waved  me 
to  a  seat  beside  her  desit,  and  started  right  in  to 
sell  me  a  consignment  of  tracts.  I  conf  :ss  I  was  a 
bit  da^ed  by  the  scene. 

At  five-thirty  thi  resper  able  stenographer  and 
the  subdued  office-boy  asked  her  humbly  if  she  de- 
sired them  any  further,  and  upon  receiving  a  nega- 
tive departed. 

When  the  door  closed  behind  them  Lorina  yawned, 
stretched,  and  swore  softlyr— to  take  the  religious 
taste  out  of  her  mouth,  I  suppose.  I  laughed,  but 
she  didn't  I'ke  it.  I  have  discovered  that  laughter 
makes  these  people  uneasy. 

"Cut  it  out!"  she  said  frowning. 
I  apologised. 

"English,"  sht  said,  "Jumbo  told  me  that  you 
would  be  glad  to  get  a  little  extra  work  as  a  diamond 
expert." 

I  nodded,  wondering  what  was  coming  next. 
"There's  a  friend  of  mine  a  jewel-broker  next 
door,"  she  went  on,  nodding  towards  the  adjoining 
room.  His  business  is  so  full  of  risks  from  thieves, 
you  know,  that  he  decided  the  best  way  to  fool  them 
would  be  to  take  an  humble  little  office  in  this  build- 


Thieves'  Wit 


283 


ing  without  to  much  as  an  extra  lock  on  the  Hoor  to 
give  warning." 

Lorina  only  handed  out  this  line  of  talk  to  save 
her  face.  I  was  not  expected  to  belie\ r  it.  These 
people  are  never  frank  with  each  other,  even  when 
there's  nothing  to  be  gained  by  bluffing.  It  is  only 
when  the  men  have  been  drirking  that  things  are 
called  by  their  right  names. 

"My  friend  needs  an  assistant,  a  diamond  expert," 
Lorina  continued.  "For  a  couple  of  months  now, 
he's  been  at  his  wit's  end  to  find  a  man  he  could  trust. 
Jumbo  said  you  were  just  the  man  for  t'  job  so  I 
recommended  you,  and  my  friend  told  i.ic  to  bring 
you  around." 

I  nodded  sagely  to  all  this  palaver.  "Am  I 
to  give  up  my  job  at  Dunsany's?"  I  asked,  hoping 
that  the  answer  would  be  in  the  affirmative. 

"No,"  she  said.  "That's  a  good  thing,  too. 
This  new  job  will  only  take  an  hour  or  two  in  the 
evenings  and  on  Saturday  afternoons." 

She  arose  and  tapped  in  a  peculiar  way  on  the 
door  that  led  into  the  adjoining  office.  Some  one 
got  up  within,  and  unlocked  and  opened  it.  Fortu- 
nately as  a  result  of  all  that  has  happened  during  the 
past  few  weeks  I  have  my  nerves  under  strict  control, 
for  1  got  a  shock.  There  stood  Freer,  the  missing 
ex-head  of  my  pearl  department ! 

We  were  introduced.  Freer  saw  nothing  suspi- 
cious in  my  aspect.  There  was  a  lot  of  palaver 
.vhich  I  will  not  tire  you  with.  The  upshot  of  it 
was  that  I  was  engaged  to  assist  my  late  assistant  at 


284 


Thieves'  Wit 


I 


il; 


a  handsome  salary.  For  the  present  I  was  to  work 
from  5:15  to  6:30  every  evening,  as  well  as  Satur- 
day  afternoons,  and  Sunday  mornings  if  necessary. 

I  do  not  hke  to  work  late  at  night,"  said  Freer 
nervously.     "It  attracts  attention." 

Freer  undertook  then  and  there  to  explain  my 
dut.es.      'My  work  is  with  the  pearls,"  he  said, 
and  the  diamond  end  of  the  business  has  been  ne- 
glected smce  I  lost  my  last  assistant  two  months 
ago. 

"He  died,"  remarked  Lorina  with  a  peculiar  look 
at  me. 

I  got  her  meaning. 

Against  one  wall  of  Freer's  office  was  a  large 
letter  file  with  drawers  that  pulled  out,  and  a  shutter 
to  pull  down  over  the  whole  at  night,  and  lock.     It 
was  bu.lt  entirely  of  steel  as  the  modern  custom  is. 
Freer  pulled  out  one  of  the  drawers  but  instead  of 
letters  .nside,  my  amazed  eyes  beheld  a  heap  of 
gleaming  diamond  jewelry.     There  were  necklaces, 
dogHcollars    lavalheres,   pins,    bracelets,    rings.     I 
wondered  .f  the  thirty-odd  remaining  drawers  were 
hlled  w.th  hke  treasures,  and  made  a  breathless 
mental  computation  of  their  value-millions  I     It 
was  a  modern  burlesque  of  the  scene  in  Aladdin's 
cave  I 

Freer,  referring  to  the  drawer  he  held  open  said: 

Iftese  are  cons.gnments  of  diamonds  lately  re- 

ce.ved,  wh.ch  I  have  not  had  the  time  to  inventory. 

rou  see  each  arhde  is  tagged  with  a  number.    You 

are  to  take  them  in  numerical  order,  enter  a  care- 


Thieves'  Wit 


285 


ful  description  and  valuation  in  a  journal,  then  de- 
mount the  stones,  weigh  them,  grade  them  and  put 
them  in  stock." 

He  opened  several  other  drawers  which  contained 
princely  treasures  of  unset  diamonds  lying  on  white 
cotton.  They  were  carefully  graded  according  to 
size,  colour,  quality.  Here  apparently  is  the  loot  of 
years  past.  I  could  not  begin  to  give  any  estimate 
of  its  value.     I  have  not  seen  the  pearls  yet. 

"The  other  part  of  your  work,"  Freer  went  on, 
"will  be  to  fill  the  orders  for  diamonds  that  are 
received."  He  showed  me  several  order  slips,  evi- 
dently from  the  phraseology,  made  out  by  experi- 
enced jewellers,  but  bearing  no  shipping  directions. 
"Am  I  to  send  these  orders  out?"  I  asked  with 
a  simple  air. 

He  shook  his  head.  "Enter  the  orders  in  the  or- 
der book,  fill  them  from  stock,  and  turn  them  over  to 
me." 

"Mind  you  do  not  carry  your  work  to  the  win- 
dow," put  in  Lorina  sharply. 
I  nodded. 

"Mind  you  do  not  leave  anything  about  at  night," 
added  Freer,  "no  tools,  no  papers.  The  women 
come  in  here  to  clean  after  we  are  gone." 

He  showed  me  where  the  tools  of  my  trade  were 
kept.  In  addition  to  everything  else  needful,  in 
a  locked  cabinet  there  is  a  beautiful  little  electric 
crucible  for  melting  down  gold  and  platinum. 

I  immediately  set  to  work  under  the  eyes  of  Lo- 
rina  and  Freer. 


286 


Thieves'  Wit 


You  can  imagine  in  what  excitement  I  now  write 
this.     Our  work  is  donel-or  almost  done,  for  we 

riiU  T  ^"  ^r  '  ""'  °"  *'^'**  mysterious  and  tcr- 
nble    boss     .  For  a  moment  I  thought  it  might  be 

mTJI  M  ''VM?"'"l'^'"'*  *°  ^""»  "  *e  rest. 
uTr!  I-  ,'"L^''"  '  ''*"'  ^^  »''^"  ""ke-if  there 
»  no  shpl  We  must  do  our  best  of  course  to  en- 
sure  complete  success,  but  I  beg  of  you  not  to  risk 
too  far  what  we  have  in  our  grasp,  in  the  hope  of 
gettmg  more  I  confess  I  am  a  little  scared  by  the 
magnitude  of  the  developments  to-day.  Do  not 
wait  too  long  before  delivering  your  master  stroke  I 

JM. 


28 

'T'O  resume  my  own  part  in  these  matters,  you 

X  can  conceive  what  a  great  responsibility  de- 
volved  upon  me  in  the  light  of  these  two  last  re- 
ports.    I  did  not  have  to  have  Mr.  Dunsany  re- 

T  J"f/'  ?•  J  '""  ^^'  "  P'^'y"-  '■"  =>  <^^ose  game 
who  holds  the  best  card.  The  question  was  when 
to  play  ,t  One  may  easily  hold  one's  trumps  too 
long  Still  I  could  not  bear  to  show  my  hand  with- 
out the  assurance  of  taking  the  king,  i.  e.,  the  "boss." 
5>o  1  still  held  off,  though  the  tension  was  frightful 
particularly  on  poor  Dunsany.  In  every  subsequent 
report  he  begged  me  to  strike,  and  take  our  chance 
of  getting  our  man  through  the  disclosures  sure  to 
be  made  in  the  general  crash.  There  was  more  up 
on  this  game  than  cards  were  ever  played  for 

In  the  meantime  I  was  straining  every  nerve  to 
pick  up  a  due  to  the  "boss."  I  knew  that  we  must 
get  him  in  the  end  if  we  could  hold  off  long  enough 
1  arranged  a  meeting  with  the  boy  Blondy,  and 
cross-examined  him  for  hours.  The  poor  youn«ter 
was  only  too  anxious  to  teU  me  what  he  knewrbut 
he  could  not  help  me. 

tn^lh'''^  th«  Lorina  never  sent  any  of  the  men 
to  the  boss.  All  communications  between  them  were 
made  without  the  aid  of  a  third  party.  Some  of 
the  men,  he  said,  affected  to  believe  that  the  boss 
aSr 


288 


Thieves'  Wit 


was  a  myth  invented  by  Lorina  to  keep  them  in  awe. 
1  had,  however,  good  reason  in  my  reports  to  know 
that  the  boss  was  a  real  man. 

I  put  the  most  skilful  :voman  operative  I  could 

frTh'  °«"  L"""'''"  t"il-  It  appeared,  however, 
from  her  first  report  that  Lorina  was  instantly  aware 
of  bemg  watched  and  fooled  the  operative  at  her 
pleasure.  Thus  she  became  a  danger  to  me  instead 
of  a  help,  smce  Lorina  with  her  infernal  cleverness 
might  very  easily  have  found  a  way  to  intercept  our 
commun.cat,ons.  Sb  I  discharged  the  operative  two 
days  after  I  hired  her. 

In  justice  to  Mr.  Dunsany,  who  hourly  ran  such 
a  terrible  mk,  I  now  took  the  police  into  my  con- 
fidence.  The  chief  of  the  detective  bureau  at  this 
time  was  Lanman,  a  man  I  had  ah.ays  respected 
for  his  contempt  of  spectacular  methods  and  his 
strong  sense.     I  went  to  see  him. 

He  did  not  know  me,  of  course.  He  listened  to 
my  story  with  an  incredulous  grin.  He  has  an  as- 
pect as  grim  and  forbidding  as  a  granite  cliff.  But 
as  1  piled  up  my  evidence,  and  read  from  Mr.  Dun- 
sany s  report,  I  shook  the  cliff.  I  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  seeing  the  granite  betray  excitement. 

When  I  was  dene  he  was  convinced.  He  was 
frankly  envious  of  my  hick  in  obtaining  such  a  case 
and  of  my  success  with  it,  but  he  showed  a  disposi- 
tion to  play  absolutely  fair.     I  had  been  afraid  that 

Lanman  agreed  that  it  was  best  to  hold"  off  for  a 


Thieves'  Wit 


289 


day  or  two  longer  in  the  hope  of  getting  the  "boss." 

In  the  meantime  he  secured  a  room  at  # Fifth 

avenue  on  the  same  floor  where  Lorina  had  her  of- 
fices, and  there  every  day  during  the  hours  while 
Mr.  Dunsany  was  at  work,  waited  six  men  within 
call.  We  next  secured  quarters  in  the  little  hotel 
three  doors  from  Lorina's  house,  and  every  night 
ten  of  Lanman's  mqn  were  domiciled  there.  Signals 
were  agreed  on  in  case  of  need. 

Matters  stood  thus  at  the  end  of  the  week  whose 
beginning  had  witnessed  the  Newport  robbery.  On 
Friday  morning  Irma  Ham^rton  came  to  town  again. 
I  witnessed  her  arrival  in  the  lobby  of  the  Rotter- 
dam, which  you  will  remember  was  her  hotel  before 
it  had  been  mine.  Every  cne  sat  up  and  stared. 
She  was  as  lovely  as  only  herself,  but  I  thought, 
looked  harassed.  Mount  was  attending  her  like 
a  shadow,  smoother,  more  elegant  and  more  com- 
placent than  ever. 

With  a  fanciful,  sentimental  feeling  I  had  engaged 
rooms  on  the  same  floor  of  the  hotel  as  Irma's.  Her 
suite  '.as  rented  by  the  year.  During  the  morning 
as  I  went  to  and  fro  in  the  corridor  of  the  eleventh 
floor,  I  could  not  help  but  notice  an  unusual  stir  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Irma's  rooms.  Messengers 
were  flying,  packages  arriving,  and  the  switchboard 
busy. 

There  is  a  telephone  switchboard  on  each  floor  of 
the  Rotterdam,  opposite  the  elevators.  In  addition 
to  answering  the  calls,  the  operator  is  supposed  to 
keep  an  eye  on  things  generally.     While  I  was  wait- 


290 


Thieves'  Wit 


ing  for  the  elevator  I  asked  the  girl  on  our  floor 
w*at  was  the  cause  of  the  excitement.  She  said  she 
didn't  know,  but  said  it  with  a  simper  and  a  toss 
of  the  head  that  added  to  my  uneasiness.  Down- 
stairs I  asked  the  clerk  with  whom  I  was  on  friendly 
terms,  but  with  no  better  success. 

While  I  was  hanging  around  the  lobby,  Irma  and 
Mount  came  down.  They  took  a  taxi  at  the  door. 
FoUowmg  a  sudden  impulse  I  engaged  the  next  in 
me,  and  ordered  the  driver  to  follow  them.  They 
led  me  through  the  maze  of  down-town  traffic  direct 
to  the  Municipal  Building.  They  disappeared  in 
the  bureau  of  Marriage  Licenses,  and  my  worst 
fears  were  confirmed. 

This  time  I  determined  to  act  without  consulting 
my  passionate,  headstrong  friend.     I  hastened  back 
to  the  hotel.     I  had  evidence  that  the  ceremony  was 
to  be  performed  there,  most  likely  the  same  after- 
noon.    I  wrote  Irma  a  ,iofe  begging  her  to  see  me 
privately  on  a  matter  of  the  greatest  importance. 
1  signed  it  with  my  assumed  name  Boardman,  but  I 
had  worded  it  in  such  a  way  that  she  would  know 
It  was  from  me.     Moreover  she  knew  my  hand- 
wntmg.     I  sent  it  to  her  room  in  advance  of  her 
return.    There  was  a  chance  of  course  that  some 
one  else  might  open  it,  but  I  knew  she  made  a  general 
practice  of  opening  her  own  letters. 

A  little  before  two  o'clock,  I  got  a  summons  and 
hastened  to  her  suite.  She  started  back  dubiously 
at  the  sight  of  me,  but  I  soon  identifie :  myself.    She 


Thieves'  Wit 


291 


was  alone.    The  room  was  filled  with  orange  blos- 
soms.    The  scent  sickened  me. 
"V/here  is  Mr.  Mount?"  I  asked. 
"I  sent  him  away  for  an  hour,"  she  answered, 
blushing. 

"Are  we  quite  alone?" 

"Bella  and  Marie  are  in  my  bedroom.    That  is 
two  rooms  away." 

Bella  was  Mrs.  Bleecker;  Marie  her  maid. 
"Laying   out   your   wedding-dress,    I    suppose," 
said  I. 

She  started  and  blushed  deeply.    "You  know?" 
she  murmured. 
"Is  it  a  secret?" 

"Not  from  you.  I  didn't  know  where  to  reach 
you  by  phone." 

There  was  a  somewhat  painful  silence.  I  did  not 
feel  inclined  to  make  things  easy  for  her. 

"Aren't  you — aren't  you  going  to  congratulate 
me  ?"  she  murmured  at  last. 
"No,"  I  said  bluntly. 

She  looked  at  me  full  of  surprise  and  pain,  like  a 
hurt  child,  but  I  was  hurt,  too,  and  impenitent. 

"Oh,  Irma,  how  could  you?"  I  cried  at  last.  It 
was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  addressed  her  so.  At 
the  moment  neither  of  us  noticed  it. 

My  question  confused  her.  "I — I  don't  know," 
was  her  strange  answer. 

Presently  she  recovered  herself  somewhat.  "Why 
shouldn't  I?"  she  demanded,  showing  fight. 


H 


I 


i 


292 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  shrugged.     "I  don't  know.    I  have  no  rea.on.. 
r  ou  should  be  guided  by  your  instinct." 

.'.'J?*  '*  ^°'^  '°  '"'•"  *•"'  "'<1  defiantly. 
Naturally,  he  sees  his  interest." 
I  can't  remember  all  that  was  said  on  both  sides 
Ihe  conversation  was  sufficiently  painful.     She  was 

"°'^l    J-V  "':     ^'"""y  "'''  •"=«»"  t°  tumble. 

Why  did  you  leave  me  ?"  she  faltered.  "I  asked 
you  to  help  me.  You  have  avoided  me  all  these 
weeks.     I  needed  you.     It's  cruel  and  useless  for 

you  to  come  now,  when  it  is  too  late  and— and " 

I  have  been  working  for  you  I"  I  cried.  "I 
thought  I  could  trust  your  instinct." 

"I  had  no  intention  of  marrying  at  first,"  she 

WK  ^-7?"  ""^  ^  ^^'^^  "8°  ^'^^  ^"  coming. 
Why  didn  t  you  speak  t.^en  if  you  had  anything  to 
say.    It's  too  late  now." 

''It's  never  too  late  if  you  have  a  doubt,"  I  cried. 
But  he—Alfred  will  be  here  at  four,"  she  stam- 

""t      /i"  clergyman— and  my  friends " 

Let  Alfred  go  away  again,"  I  said  coolly. 
Her  eyes  widened  like  a  frightened  child's     "I 
dare  not  I"  she  whispered.     "You  don't  know  I    He 
is  a  terrible  man!" 

"I'll  back  you  up,"  I  said. 

PlZet.""'"  "■""•"    "'""'■°"    """"" 

I  took  a  new  tack. 

"Why  don't  you  ask  me  the  result  of  my  work 
the  last  few  weeks?"  I  asked. 

"What  do  you  mean?" 


Thieves'  Wit 


293 


I  had  brought  for  the  purpose,  that  report  of 
Mr.  Dunsany's  in  which  Foxy  had  told  how  the  theft 
of  Irma's  pearls  had  been  accomplished.  I  ex- 
plained to  Irma  how  this  report  had  been  secured, 
and  then  I  read  it  to  her.  Joy  and  horror  strug- 
gled together  in  her  face. 

"You  knew  this  long  ago!"  she  cried  accusingly. 
"Why  didn't  you  tell  me  before?" 

"Roland  forbade  it.  I  am  breaking  my  word  to 
him  in  telling  you  now." 

"He  no  longer  cares  then  what  I  think  1" 

I  shrugged. 

She  walked  up  and  down  the  room  like  one  dis- 
traught. 

"Knowing  that  Roland  is  innocent  would  you  dare 
to  marry  Mount?"  I  asked. 

"It  is  too  latel"  she  cried. 

At  this  moment  we  were  warned  by  a  sound  in  the 
next  room  to  pull  ourselves  together.  The  door 
opened  and  Mrs.  Bleecker's  fawning  countenance 
appeared  in  the  opening. 

"Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  said,  cringing.  "I 
didn't  know  you  were  still  engaged."  She  did  not 
withdraw,  however,  but  favoured  me  with  a  good, 
long  stare. 

I  never  saw  the  gentle  Irma  so  angry.  "Leave  the 
room  I"  she  commanded.  "I  told  you  I  was  not  to 
be  disturbed!" 

If  she  had  always  taken  the  same  tone  with  that 
woman  it  would  have  been  better  for  her.  Mrs. 
Bleecker  precipitately  retired. 


i   i| 


Til 


294 


Thieves*  Wit 


Irma  continued  to  pace  the  floor.  "What  shall  I 
do?"  she  murmured,  twisting  her  hands  together. 
"I  have  not  the  strength  to  face  him  out." 

"Don't  try,"  I  suggested. 

"What  J 3  you  mean?" 

"Beat  it,"  I  said  in  homely  slang. 

A  gleam  of  lisjht,  of  miwhief  appeared  in  her  tor- 
tured face.  "But  how?— where?  Will  you  go  with 
me  ?"  she  cried  breathlessly.  "What  will  I  do  about 
the  women  here?    What  explanation  shall  I  make?" 

"One  thing  at  a  timel"  I  protested.  "Make  no 
explanation.  You  are  your  own  mistress.  If  you 
like  you  can  leave  Alfred  a  note  saying  you  have 
changed  your  mind.     As  to  the  women — , — " 

"I  can  trust  Marie." 

"Very  well.  Send  Mrs.  Bleecker  out  on  an  er- 
rand.  No  trouble  to  invent  an  errand  at  this  junc- 
ture.   You  can  be  gone  when  she  returns." 

"Will  you  come  with  me  ?" 

I  shook  my  head.     "Matters  arc  rapidly  ap- 
proaching a  crisis,"  I  said.     "I  must  stay  on  the  job." 
"But  where  will  I  go?" 

"That's  up  to  you.  I  can  only  offer  a  subiks- 
tion "  "* 

"Yes  I    Yes  I    Don't  tease  me." 

"You  have  a  difficult  time  ahead  of  you.  I  think 
you  need  a  man's  support." 

A  crimson  tide  swept  up  from  her  neck. 

"I  would  put  on  my  oldest  and  plainest  suit,"  I 
went  on  wickedly,  "and  go  register  at  some  quiet 
little  hotel,  the  last  place  they  would  think  of  look- 


Thieves'  Wit 


295 


ing  for  you.  I  will  give  you  the  name  of  luch  a 
place.  At  fi\  <.-i.iirty  thii  afternoon  I  would  go  to 
a  certain  horrible  cheap  little  restaurant  known  as 
the  American  cafe,  which  ii  on  Third  avenue  near 
Sixteenth  street.  Half-past  five  remember,  and  jui; 
see  what  happens." 

"If  you  would  only  come  with  me — I  mean  as  far 
as  the  door,"  she  murmured  in  confusion. 

"Too  risky,"  I  said.  "Mind  I  do  not  guarantee 
anything  in  any  event.  It's  up  to  you.  A  certain 
young  friend  of  ours  has  the  pride  of  Lucifer,  and 
you  have  made  a  ghastly  wound  in  it.  You  will  have 
to  humble  yourself  shockingly." 

In  her  present  mood  I  saw  she  was  quite  ready 
to  do  that. 

"This  is  what  I'm  counting  on,"  I  went  on.  "Pride 
is  pretty  poor  fare.  Let  him  act  as  high  and  mighty 
as  he  likes,  he's  really  starving  for  all  that  makes 
life  worth  living.  The  unexpected  sight  of  you 
ought  to  be  like  a  feast  to  his  eyes.  I'm  hoping  he'll 
fall  to,  before  his  damnable  pride  has  a  chance  to 
bring  up  reserves.  One  thing  more.  If  anything 
prevents  him  from  supping  there  as  usual,  he  lives 
at  #  —  East  Seventeenth  street." 

"Are  you  sure  he  loves  me  still?"  she  whispered. 

"Not  at  all  sure,"  I  said  coolly.  "You'll  have  to 
go  and  find  out.  If  you've  lost  him,  you've  lost  a 
lover  that  was  worth  a  woman's  while." 


29 

/k  Ilf  ^/i."*  *t'"  l""f  "'^'y  °«  °'  'he  Rotter, 
her  plam  black  dre..  .„d  mode.t  hat  than  in  «U  her 
finery),  I  went  back  to  my  own  roomi  in  the  hotel. 
I  wa.  expecting  a  telephone  report  from  a  man 
whom  I  had  lent  to  pick  up  what  he  could  at  the 
garage  where  Lorina  itored  her  car.  Meanwhile 
I  gave  myse.f  up  to  the  joy  of  picturing  Mr..  Bleeck- 

ll'irZt"'  '^^  IT""^  ''°'"  ^" hypothetical 
errand,  and  Mount  s  black  rage  when  he  dropped  in 

b'  ilr  i\^".  '"f"''*  ""^  '"""''  himself  minu.  a 
cITa  J  i  ''^'5"  iuspected  that  Mount  con- 
cealed tigensh  tendcnciei  under  his  too-smooth  ex- 
tenor. 

th^L^nf  ^^  ">y  telephone  did  ring,  but  it  was  not 
*e  man  I  expected.  An  agitated  young  voice  haUed 
me  oyer  the  wire,  which  I  had  some  difficulty  in  rec 
ogTiising  as  Blondy's.  He  was  so  excited  I  could 
not  make  head  or  tail  of  hi,  message.  When  I  got 
him  straightened  out  it  ran  something  like  thisf 

I  have  just  been  at  Mrs.  Mansfield's  office.  I 
mean  the  down-town  office.    Sh:  told  me  last  night 

^ZTJI^V  f':.^^  '  P''^'«''  '°  he  taken  to 
■Tu     V  f  "°*'l  Madagascar.     I  was  sitting  be- 
side her  desk  and  she  was  writing  a  letter  to  go  with 
the  package,  when  the  telephone  beU  rang.    She 
J96 


Thieves'  Wit 


297 


Icnowi  how  to  talk  over  the  telephone  without  giv- 
ing  anything  away.  All  the  laid  was  'ye»'  and  'no' 
and  'repeat  that,"  but  I  taw  that  it  wat  important  be- 
cause  her  face  changed  and  her  eyei  glittered.  When 
she  looks  like  that  it  means  danger. 

"She  was  talking  to  a  woman  called  Bella. 

"She  made  some  notes  on  a  pad.  As  soon  as  she 
rang  off  she  jumped  up.  She  said  she  was  called 
out  and  told  me  I  needn't  wait  because  she  wouldn't 
send  the  package  until  to  morrow.  When  she 
t  ned  to  get  her  hat  I  managed  to  tatch  a  glimpse 
of  the  notes  she  had  put  down.    She  had  written : 

"Elegantly-dressed  man  of  fifty. 

Silvery  toupee,  waxed  moustache,  pale  face. 

Brown  suit,  waistcoat  edged  "vith  white. 

White  spats,  white  sloves. 

Expensive  Panama  hat,  fancy  band  green  and  red. 

Koora  1104." 

"This  is  your  description,  and  this  is  the  number 
of  your  room.  I  was  scared  when  I  saw  the  expres- 
sion of  her  face.  She  sent  me  home.  She  left  at 
the  same  time,  and  took  a  taxi  at  the  door.  She 
carries  her  gun  in  a  kind  of  pocket  in  her  skirt.  Look 
out  for  her  I" 

"I  get  y.u,  old  boyl"  I  cried.  "You've  done  me 
a  good  turn  and  I  shan't  forget  it.  Don't  you 
worry." 

I  hung  up  the  receiver,  and  did  a  little  thinking. 
I  was  struck  by  the  name  of  the  woman  who  had 
called  Lorina  up,  Bella.     It  is  not  a  very  common 


298 


Thieves'  Wit 


name.     It  was  Mrs.  Bleecker's  name.     Was  this  a 
new  thread  in  my  extraordinary  tangle? 

It  was  decidedly  awkward  to  have  my  disguise 
laid  bare  just  at  ihis  moment.  However,  fore- 
warned is  forearmed.  I  set  about  putting  my  affairs 
in  order.  I  did  not  know  whether  Lorina  would 
visit  the  Rotterdam  or  not,  but  I  was  sure  she  would 
not  do  so  without  making  her  usual  careful  arrange- 
ments, and  not  probably,  without  disguising  herself, 
all  of  which  would  take  time.  I  gave  myself  an 
hour,  anyway. 

I  gathered  my  papers  together,  and  despatched 

those  of  them  I  valued  to  Dr. ,  who  had  been 

so  good  to  me  already.  I  wrote  notes  to  Mr.  Dun- 
sany,  Blondy  and  other  agents  instructing  them  to 
send  their  reports  in  the  care  of  Oscar  Nilson  until 
they  heard  from  me  again.  All  the  beautiful  sar- 
torial effects  I  had  to  leave  behind  me.  Maybe  I 
could  redeem  them  later  if  they  were  not  sold  by 
the  hotel  to  pay  my  bill. 

It  was  close  upon  four  and  I  supposed  the  wed- 
ding-guests  were  gathering,  when  my  telephone  sum- 
moned me  again. 

"Miss  Sadie  Farrell  is  calling,"  said  the  voice  at 
the  other  end. 

My  heart  jumped,  but  simultaneously  Caution 
held  up  a  warning  finger.  "One  moment,"  I  an- 
swered. 

I  did  some  rapid  thinking.  I  did  not  keep  the 
girl  waiting  an  appreciable  moment,  but  in  that  time 
I  thought  a  whole  chapter,  as  one  may  do  in  a  crisis. 


Thieves'  Wit 


299 


Not  Sadie  I  Better  sense  instantly  told  me  she 
would  never  come  to  my  hotel.  She  had  a  more  ex- 
alted notion  of  what  was  due  her.  Lorina,  of 
course.  She  had  used  the  most  obvious  expedient  of 
reaching  my  rooms.     I  had  three  alternatives: 

(a)  To  deny  myself  to  her.  But  in  that  case  I 
would  virtually  be  besieged  in  the  hotel. 

(b)  To  see  her  down-stairs.  She  would  hardly 
take  a  shot  at  me  in  the  crowded  lobby — ^but  she 
might  very  well  have  some  half-crazed  youth  there 
to  do  it  for  her. 

(c)  To  have  her  up-stairs,  where  she  could  not 
pass  any  signals  outside.     I  had  two  rooms 

"Please  have  Miss  Farrell  come  up-stairs,"  I  said 
over  the  phone. 

I  had  one  of  the  best  suites  at  the  Rotterdam,  a 
coiner  room  which  was  my  parlour,  and  a  bedroom. 
I  put  the  key  to  the  parlour  door  in  my  pocket,  re- 
tired into  the  bedroom,  and  locked  the  communicat- 
ing door.  Presently  I  heard  the  bell-boy's  knock 
on  the  parlour  door. 

"Come  in  1"  I  sang  out. 

Through  the  door  I  heard  the  sounds  of  two  peo- 
ple entering  my  parlour. 

"Hello,  Sadie  I"  I  cried.  "Make  yourself  at 
home.     I'll  be  dressed  in  a  jiffy  I" 

An  indistinguishable  murmur  answered  me.  This 
was  certainly  not  my  Sadie. 

The  bell-boy  went  out,  and  I  heard  him  retiring 
down  the  hall.  I  gave  him  time  to  get  out  of  the 
way,  then  I  slipped  out  of  the  bedroom  into  the  hall. 


I 


iil 


300 


Thieves'  Wit 


key  to  the  other  room  in  hand.  I  inserted  it  ever 
so  idftly  in  the  parlour  door,  and  turned  it.  But 
she  heard  1  She  rushed  to  the  door  and  shook  it. 
By  that  time  I  was  around  the  corner  of  the  cor- 
ridor. 

The  telephone  girl  looked  at  me  somewhat  curi- 
ously as  I  pressed  the  elevator  button,  but  did  not 
quite  like  to  question  me.  She  knew,  of  course,  that 
a  caller  had  just  been  shown  into  my  room. 
"I'll  be  back  in  a  minute,"  I  said  carelessly. 
Just  then  I  saw  the  number  of  my  room  1104  dis- 
played on  the  switthboard.  Lorina  had  rushed  to 
the  phone. 

"Is  there  a  drugstore  in  the  hotel?"  I  asked  the 
girl  at  random,  to  distract  her  attention. 

"No,  sir.  There  is  one  opposite  the  Thirty- 
fourth  street  entrance." 

The  elevator  was  approaching  my  floor.  I 
needed  one  more  second  to  make  my  getaway.  "Is 
it  a  reliable  place?"  I  asked. 

'Conway's,"  she  said,  holding  the  plug  ready  in 
her  hand,  "one  of  the  largest  in  town." 

The  elevator  door  was  now  open,  and  I  stepped 
aboard.  The  operator  shoved  the  plug  in,  and  an- 
swered the  call.     I  was  carried  down. 

I  could  not  tell,  of  course,  what  form  I^rina's  ap- 
peal for  help  would  take.  In  case  she  might  tele- 
phone to  have  me  intercepted  in  the  lobby,  I  took 
the  precaution  to  get  off  at  the  mezzanine  floor.  I 
passed  around  the  gallery  to  the  other  side  of  the 
building,  and  gained  the  street  without  interference. 


Thieves'  Wit 


301 


So  there  I  was  safe,  but  once  more  homeless. 

A  gaily-dressed  couple  left  the  hotel  immediately 
in  front  of  me.  The  woman  was  talking  rather  ex- 
citedly. Reaching  the  pavement  I  saw  that  the 
talker  was  Miss  Beulah  Maddox,  late  of  Irma's 
company.  Of  coarse  I  No  difficulty  in  guessing  what 
she  was  excited  about.  They  turned  West  on 
Thirty-fourth  street.  I  was  bound  in  the  same 
direction.     1  heard  her  say: 

"Of  course  nobody  believes  she's  sick.  What  can 
be  the  matter?" 

"They've  had  a  row  I  suppose,"  replied  her  com- 
panion. 

Half  a  dozen  steps  farther  along,  they  met  an- 
other couple  likewise  gloriously  arrayed.  I  did  not 
know  these  two,  but  it  required  little  perspicacity  to 
guess  that  they  too  belonged  to  the  profession. 
Miss  Maddox  greeted  them  with  a  squeal  of  excite- 
ment. 

"Oh,  my  dears/" 

It  was  risky,  but  I  could  not  forbear  stopping  a 
moment  to  listen.  I  made  out  to  be  looking  for  a 
taxi. 

^^  "What  do  you  thinkf"  cried  Miss  Maddox. 
"There's  no  use  your  going  any  farther!  There 
iSii  t  going  to  be  any  wedding  I" 

"Why?" 

"Nobody  knows.  Another  extraordinary  caprice 
of  Irma's  1  Everybody  is  told  at  the  desk  that  she 
IS  ill,  and  the  ceremony  postponed,  but  of  course 
that's  only  an  excuse.     I  had  a  glimpse  of  Mr. 


}    :, 
I* 


302 


Thieves'  Wit 


Mount  and  he  looked  simply  furious,  my  dear  I" 

And  so  on  I  And  so  on !  A  taxi  drew  up  and  I 
jumped  in. 

I  had  myself  taken  to  Oscar's  shop,  and  in  one 
of  the  little  cubicles,  the  distinguishing  marks  of  the 
elegant  Mr.  Boardman,  late  of  the  Rotterdam,  were 
removed.  It  would  nave  been  fun  to  adopt  another 
swell  makeup  and  go  back  to  the  Rotterdam  to  see 
what  was  happening,  but  it  was  too  risky.  It  was 
safer  for  me  to  play  an  humble  character  now. 

Oscar  provided  me  with  a  longish  mop  of  black 
hair,  and  a  pair  of  heavy  black  eye-brows.  He  went 
out  himself  to  get  me  the  rough  clothes  I  needed. 
An  hour  after  I  had  gone  into  his  shop  I  came  out 
again,  a  typical  representative  of  tough  young  New 
York.  The  Hudson  Dusters  would  not  have  re- 
jected me. 

It  was  now  nearly  half-past  five.  The  hands  of 
the  clock  reminded  me  of  the  meeting  that  I  had 
arranged  to  bring  about  at  that  hour.  My  heart 
was  very  keen  for  the  success  of  *his  meeting,  yet  I 
was  full  of  uncomfortable  doubts.  Now  that  I  had 
changed  my  character  I  felt  that  I  might  safely  go 
and  see  how  things  turned  out,  so  I  turned  my  steps 
in  the  direction  of  the  American  cafe  on  Third 
avenue. 

When  I  got  there  Roland  was  already  eating  his 
supper.  No  sign  of  Irma  yet.  The  American  is 
one  of  those  older  lunchrooms  where  they  have 
long  mahogany  tables  each  decorated  with  a  row  of 
sugar  bowls  and  sauce  bottles  with  squirt  tops.     In 


Thieves'  Wit 


303 


such  places  one  of  the  squirt  tops  still  gives  "pepper 
sauce"  though  I  never  saw  anybody  use  it.  There 
was  a  double  row  of  long  tables  with  a  lane  between. 
Roland  had  the  wall  seat  of  the  first  table  on  the 
right.  His  shorthand  book  was  propped  against  a 
vinegar  bottle,  and  he  studied  it  while  he  fed  himself. 

I  took  a  seat  two  removes  from  him  on  the  same 
side  of  the  table.  He  paid  no  attention  to  me.  I 
took  this  distance,  because  if  Irma  came  I  didn't 
want  to  hear  too  much.  No  one  was  likely  to  sit 
between  us,  so  long  as  there  were  whole  tables 
vacant.  It  was  a  little  early  for  the  supper  hour, 
and  there  were  few  in  the  place. 

I  ordered  the  piece  de  resistance  of  such  places, 
viz.:  a  plate  of  beef  stew.  Roland  was  almost 
through  his  supper,  and  I  wondered  apprehensively 
if  Irma  meant  to  exercise  her  woman's  prerogative 
of  being  late.  Perhaps  her  nerve  had  failed  her, 
and  she  would  not  come.  She  had  burned  her 
bridges  though.  What  else  could  she  do  but  come  ? 
From  time  to  time  I  glanced  in  my  young  friend's 
face.  It  was  pale  and  drawn.  Verily,  I  thought, 
his  infernal  pride  was  sapping  his  youth. 

Then  I  saw  Irma  an'^  my  heart  set  up  a  great 
beating.  It's  a  risky  ^ning  to  presume  to  play 
Providence  to  a  pair  of  young  souls,  one  of  whom  is 
as  explosive  as  guncotton.  What  was  going  to  hap- 
pen? Irma  was  hovering  about  outside.  She 
glanced  in  the  place  nervously.  Unfortunately  there 
was  no  other  woman  eating  there  at  the  moment, 
though  women  did  come  to  the  place.     Irma  walked 


'  I 


304 


Thieves'  Wit 


on.  Had  she  given  up?  My  heart  sunk.  No, 
presently  she  came  strolling  back.  She  meant  to 
wait  for  him  outside.  I  approved  her  good  sense. 
Plainly  dressed  though  she  was,  her  entrance  into 
that  phce  would  have  created  a  sensation. 

Roland,  all  unconscious  of  what  was  in  store,  got 
up,  slipped  the  book  in  his  pocket,  paid  his  score 
with  an  abstracted  air,  and  went  out.  He  never 
looked  at  me.  His  brain  was  full  of  shorthand 
symbols. 

I  followed  him  at  once,  though  I  had  but  started 
my  supper.    Nobody  cared  so  long  as  I  paid. 

I  was  just  in  time  to  see  them  come  face  to  face 
on  the  pavement  outside. 

"Roland  I"  she  whispered  with  the  loveliest  smile 
surely  that  ever  bedecked  the  human  countenance; 
wistful,  supplicating  and  tender. 

He  started  back  as  if  he  had  been  shot,  and  gazed 
at  her  with  a  kind  of  horror.  He  did  not  speak.  I 
expect  he  could  not.  Passers-by  stared  at  them  curi- 
ously. Irma  lowered  her  head,  and  slipping  her 
hand  inside  his  arm  with  affecting  confidence,  drew 
him  forward  away  from  the  stares.  Still  he  did  not 
speak.  He  was  oblivious  to  the  passers-by,  and  to 
everything  else  but  her.  He  gazed  at  her  like  a 
man  in  a  trance,  his  dark  eyes  full  of  a  passionate 
hunger.  She  only  spoke  once  more.  Raising  her 
eyes  to  his  she  moved  her  lips.  I  could  read  them. 
"I  love  you,"  she  wnispered. 
His  lips  began  to  tremble.  Where  were  all  his 
proud  vows  then? 


Thieves'  Wit  305 

She  drew  him  around  the  corner  into  the  quieter 
side  street.  She  was  weeping  now.  When  she 
looked  at  him  I  could  see  the  bright  drops.  They 
were  more  potent  than  any  words  she  could  have 
spoken.  Roland  suddenly  came  to  life.  He 
stopped  short,  flung  an  arm  around  her,  turned  up 
her  face  and  kissed  her  mouth,  careless  if  all  New 
I  ork  saw. 
So  that  was  all  right. 

The  sight  induced  me  to  take  the  first  train  out 
to  AmityviUe  where  I  might  dine  and  spend  the 
evening  with  my  dear  girl.  We  were  much  mystified 
upon  receiving  a  telegram  during  the  evening  signed 
by  my  name.  To  my  astonishment  I  saw  English 
and  Freer  on  the  train  returning  from  AmityviUe. 
The  explanation  of  aU  this  was  forthcoming  in  the 
morning. 


30 

NEXT  morning  as  soon  as  Oscar  opened  his 
shop,  I  was  on  hand  to  get  my  mail.    I  found 
that  big  things  had  happened  during  the  night. 

Report  of  J.  M.   No.  23 

Loritufs  House 

Saturday,  July  nth,  3  A.M. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  this  should  be  the  f^.st 
night  of  our  association  that  we  are  out  of  touch 
with  each  other.  I  sent  home  an  hour  ago  to  see 
if  there  was  any  word  from  you.  I  got  your  letter, 
but  that  only  gives  me  the  address  of  the  wig-maker's 
shop  which  is,  of  course,  closed  until  morning.  I 
have  to  remain  on  watch  here,  and  I  cannot  make 
the  hours  pass  better  than  by  writing  you  an  account 
of  all  that  has  happened.  It  will  save  time  when 
we  meet. 

I  have  done  the  best  I  could.  I  followed  your 
instructions  to  the  letter.  I  do  not  see  how  I  could 
have  acted  differently.  I  hope  you  will  not  blame 
me. 

As  soon  as  I  was  through  work  at  Dunsany's  this 
afternoon,  I  went  down  to  No.  —  Fifth  avenue  as 
usual,  to  continue  my  inventory  of  the  gang's  dia- 
monds.    Freer  is  always  there  when  I  am,  of  course. 
306 


Thieves'  Wit 


307 


He's  not  a  bad  sort  of  fellow.  There's  something 
sorrowful  about  him.  I  think  he  would  prefer  on 
the  whole  to  lead  an  honest  life.  He  speaks  of  hav- 
ing  an  expensive  family  to  keep. 

As  soon  as  Lorina's  stenographer  and  office  boy 
went  home,  she  came  into  our  room  as  she  usually 
does.  This  evening  she  was  in  a  state  of  excite- 
ment. She  had  evidently  been  holding  herself  in 
some  time.  The  air  was  lurid  with  the  fire  and 
brimstone  she  used  in  apostrophising  you.  If  hate 
could  be  sent  by  wireless  you'd  be  dead  this  minute, 
my  friend. 

I  gathered  she  had  learned  during  the  day 
that  you  were  at  the  Rotterdam.  But  when  she 
went  around  there  with  her  silencer,  you  turned  the 
tables  on  her  somehow  and  not  only  ^'ot  away  again, 
out  left  her  in  a  very  humiliating  position.  Bully 
for  you  I 

"He's  slipped  through  my  fingers  for  the  mo- 
ment 1"  she  went  on,  "but  I've  got  a  line  on  his  girl 
again.     I'll  fix  her  to-night." 

My  heart  went  duwn  at  this  piece  of  news. 

"She's  at  a  sanatorium  at  Amityville,"  Lorina 
went  on.  "I  got  a  servant  into  the  house,  and  I 
know  her  habits.  I  won't  take  any  chances  this 
time.    This  is  a  job  for  you,  English." 

Fancy  my  feelings  I  I  had  no  time  to  think.  Yet 
I  had  to  say  something,  and  quickly,  too.  I  said 
the  natural  thing. 

"I  won't  do  it  1"  I  cried.  "I  am  working  for  you 
night  and  day  as  it  is,  good  work,  tool     I  didn't 


Hi 


3o8 


Thieves'  Wit 


engage  for  murder — a  woman  too.     I  won't  do  it! 
I'm  done  with  you  all  I" 
And  I  flung  down  my  tools. 
Lorina  took  this  outburst  calmly.     She  is  accus- 
tomed  to  it  no  doubt.     She  merely  looked  at  Freer, 
and  he  got  between  me  and  the  door. 

"Don't  be  simple-minded,  English,"  she  said  con- 
temptuously. "This  is  no  child's  game,  that  you 
can  refuse  to  play  if  you  don't  like  the  rules.  You're 
in  it  for  bad  or  for  worse  like  the  rest  of  us.  And 
I  have  the  means  of  enforcing  my  orders  I" 

"Not  that  I"  I  begged. 

"It  was  agreed  long  ago  that  this  woman  and  this 
man  have  got  to  be  put  out  of  the  way.  You're 
the  only  one  of  the  crowd  that  hasn't  been  tested 
out,  and  the  other  boys  are  complaining.  Here's 
your  chance  to  make  good.  You  understand  there's 
no  afternative.  You're  a  valuable  man  to  us. 
but 1" 

I  can  give  you  no  idea  of  the  effect  with  which  she 
said  this.  She  is  a  terrible  woman.  Her  eyes  were 
like  points  of  ice.  Meanwhile  I  was  thinking  hard. 
If  I  did  not  go,  she  would  undoubtedly  find  some  one 
else.  I  might  be  prevented  from  warning  you.  I 
could  not  warn  iadie  direct,  because  you  had  never 
given  me  her  address.     In  the  end  I  agreed. 

Lorina  smiled  on  me. 

"What  are  my  instructions?"  I  asked. 

"The  girl  is  at  Dr.  's  sanatorium,"  sai4 

Lorina.     "You  should  not  get  out  there  before  dark, 
so  the  seven-thirty  train  will  be  the  best.    There  is  a 


Thieves'  Wit 


309 


twin  back  from  Amityville  a  little  after  ten  which 
will  land  you  in  town  before  midniijht." 

She  then  told  me  how  to  rer.ch  the  sanatorium, 
and  described  the  layout  of  the  grounds. 

"My  report  says  that  the  Farrell  girl  keeps  close 
to  the  house  during  the  day,"  she  went  on,  "and 
walks  out  at  night.  Her  favourite  spot  is  a  pool  at 
the  bottom  of  the  lawn,  which  is  surrounded  by 
juniper  trees.  There  is  a  bench  at  the  southerly 
side  of  the  pool  that  she  always  visits.  It  is  near 
the  public  road,  and  will  be  no  trouble  for  you  to 
reach.  The  thick  growth  of  young  trees  makes 
plenty  of  cover." 

"What  am  I  to  do  when  she  comes?"  I  asked. 

Lorina  turned  her  back  on  me  a  moment.     When 

she  faced  around  she  handed  me  an  automatic  pistol 

with  a  curious  cylinder  affixed  to  the  end  of  the 

barrel. 

"Use  this,"  she  said.    "It  makes  no  sound." 
I  slipped  it  in  my  pocket. 
"Freer  will  go  with  you,"  said  Lorina. 
This  seemed  fatal  to  my  hopes — I  had  to  keep 
command  of  my  face  though.     I  made  believe  it 
was  a  matter  of  indifference.     To  give  Freer  credit, 
he  did  not  appear  to  relish  the  assignment,  but  he 
dared  not  object  either. 

"As  soon  as  you  get  back  you  will  both  come  direct 
to  my  house,"  said  Lorina. 
Such  were  our  in'tructions. 
We  went  to  take  the  seven-thirty  train  as  ordered. 
As  Freer  never  left  my  side  I  had  no  opportunity  to 


310 


Thieves'  Wit 


nil  you  up.  I  know  now  that  you  weren't  at  the 
hotel  anyway.  In  the  station  Freer  went  to  buy  the 
ticketi.  I  waited  on  a  bench  in  plain  light  of  him. 
Next  to  me  sat  a  nice,  leniible  looking  girl,  and  I 
had  an  inspiration. 

"Will  you  send  a  telegram  for  me?"  I  asked 
smiling  at  her. 

Naturally  she  was  somewhat  taken  aback. 
"What  do  you  mean?"  she  asked. 

"Don't  look  so  surprised,"  I  said,  smiling  still. 
"There's  a  man  watching  me.  He  mustn't  know. 
It's  terribly  important — a  question  of  a  life,  maybe." 

I  was  lucky  in  my  girl.  She  had  an  adventurous 
spirit.     She  smiled  back.     "Who  to?"  she  asked 

"Have  you  got  a  good  memory?" 

"First-rate." 

"Miss  Farrell,  care  Doctor  's  Sanatorium, 

il^mityville." 

"I  have  it." 

"Just  say :  'Do  not  leave  the  house  to-night* " 

"Right.     Signature?" 

"  'B.  Enderby.'  You'll  find  the  money  to  pay  for 
it  on  the  seat  when  I  get  up." 

Freer,  having  secured  the  tickets,  now  came  to- 
wards us.  I  met  him  half  way.  He  look  at  me 
hard. 

"I  made  a  friend,"  I  said,  grinning  as  men  do. 

"Humph  I"  he  said  sourly.  "I  shouldn't  think 
you'd  be  in  the  humour  now." 

I  went  out  to  the  train  with  him,  giving  an  amour- 
ous  bacKward  glance  towards  the  girl. 


Thieves'  Wit 


3" 


An  hour  and  a  half  later  we  were  crouching  among 

the  young  juniper  trees  at  the  edge  of  Dr. 's 

pond.  I  was  reminded  of  that  other  night  in  New- 
port. Certainly  I  have  led  a  full  life  this  past  week. 
Once  more  I  waited  with  my  heart  in  my  throat 
fancying  that  I  heard  her  approach  in  all  the  little 
sounds  of  night.  Freer  was  no  happier  than  I,  I 
believe.  While  we  waited  in  the  dark  I  quietly  un- 
loaded the  magazine  of  the  pistol  to  guard  against 
accidents. 

Once  we  did  hear  steps  approaching  along  one  of 
the  paths,  and  held  our  breaths.  But  they  passed 
in  another  direction.  If  she  had  come  my  plan  was 
to  secure  Freer  with  her  assistance,  if  she  were  not 
too  frightened.     But  she  did  not  come. 

Freer  had  a  tiny  electric  flash  with  which  he  con- 
sulted^his  watch  from  time  to  time.     He  said  at  last : 

"We  can  just  make  the  train.  It's  the  only  train 
to-night." 

"Come  on,"  I  said.  "It  isn't  our  fault  if  she 
didn't  come." 

"Thank  God  she  didn't  I"  he  said  involuntarily. 

I  shook  hands  with  him.  He  was  a  traitor  to  me, 
and  a  thief,  but  I  forgot  it  at  the  moment. 

The  trip  home  was  without  incident.  We  got  up 
to  Lorina's  shortly  after  midnight.  The  whole  gang 
was  there:  Foxy,  Jumbo,  Jim,  Blondy,  several  of 
the  young  fellows,  a  dozen  in  all  besides  Freer  and 
They  were  all  gambling  in  the  dining-room. 


me. 


Lorina  jumped  up  at  the  sight  of  us. 
"Well?"  she  demanded. 


312 


Thieves'  Wit 


"No  good,"  I  said.     "The  girl  never  came." 

"Hml"  said  Lorina.     That  was  all. 

It  struck  me  that  she  must  have  known  already 
that  we  had  failed. 

Lorina  asked  for  her  pistol,  and  I  handed  it  over. 

"Boys,"  said  Lorina,  "we'll  go  up  to  the  office  and 
have  a  council.  I  was  just  waiting  for  these  two 
to  come  in.  We've  got  to  decide  what  we're  going 
to  do  about  this  bull  Enderby.     He's  active  again." 

There  was  something  in  the  tone  of  this  speech, 
or  in  the  look  which  accompanied  it,  that  caused  the 
scalp  behind  my  ears  to  draw  and  tingle.  I  began 
to  wonder  if  I  had  not  risked  too  much  in  venturing 
back  into  the  lion's  den  this  night.  However,  it 
was  too  late  for  regrets.  I  put  the  best  face  on  it 
I  could. 

We  trooped  up-stairs.  Some  of  the  boys  had  been 
drinking.  There  was  a  good  bit  of  noise.  The 
office  as  I  have  already  explained  is  the  front  room 
on  the  second  floor.  It  extends  the  width  of  the 
house,  and  it  has  three  windows.  That  on  the  left 
is  over  the  portico  and  stoop. 

At  the  right  of  the  room  is  a  large  flat-topped 
desk.  Lorina  sat  at  it  with  her  back  to  the  fireplace. 
She  motioned  me  to  a  seat  at  her  right.  The  men 
lounged  in  chairs  about,  some  of  them  with  their 
elbows  on  the  desk.  Lorina  ordered  the  door 
closed.  I  was  wondering  if  I'd  ever  leave  that  room 
alive. 

Lorina  rapped  on  the  desk  for  attention. 


Thieves'  Wit 


313 


"Boys,"  she  said  bl:pcly,  "we've  got  a  spy 
among  us." 

Instantly  every  pair  if  eves  tut.ied  on  me.  I 
jumped  up.  My  baclc  was  in  the  comer.  I  bluffed 
them  as  best  I  could. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you  ?"  I  cried.  "I  didn't 
ask  you  to  take  me  in.  You  came  after  me.  You 
gave  me  your  work  to  do.  Haven't  I  done  it? 
Didn't  I  deliver  the  goods  at  Newport?  Didn't 
I  undertake  a  nasty  bit  of  work  to-night?  Ask 
Freer  there.     And  now  you  turn  on  me  I" 

"Keep  quiet  1"  commanded  Lorina.  "You'll 
have  your  hearing." 

To  the  men  she  said:  "For  a  week  I've  known 
there  was  a  leak  somewhere,  and  I  wanted  to  test 
him.  I  gave  him  a  job  out  at  Amityville,  and  I  sent 
Freer  with  him.  I  had  an  agent  in  the  house  out 
there.    Well,  he  didn't  pull  the  job  off." 

"Was  that  my  fault  ?"  I  cried.    "Ask  Freer." 

She  turned  to  Freer.    "How  about  it?" 

"I — I  didn't  see  anything,"  he  stammered. 

"Were  you  with  him  all  the  time?" 

"He  was  never  out  of  my  sight." 

"Be  careful  how  you  answer,"  she  said,  "or  I'll 
believe  you're  in  with  him." 

Freer's  face  was  pale  and  sweaty.  "Well — well 
— he  flirted  with  a  girl  in  the  station.  I  couldn't 
hear  what  he  said  because,  I  was  buying  the  tickets. 
It  looked  all  right." 

"Looked  all  right  I"  snarled  Lorina.  "You  fool  1 
One  of  Enderby's  spies  tracked  you  I" 


>i\ 


314 


Thieves'  Wit 


"I  swear  we  weren't  trailed!"  cried  Freer.  "I 
watched  particularly." 

"What  time  was  that?" 

"About  quarter  past  seven." 

"At  eight  o'clock  a  telegram  was  delivered  at  the 
Sanatorium,"  said  Lorina.  "My  agent  called  me 
up.  It  said :  'Do  not  leave  the  house  to-night,'  and 
was  signed  'B.  Enderby.'  " 

The  gang  looked  at  me  with  a  new  hatred. 

Lorina  laughed  harshly.  "Oh,  this  isn't  Ender- 
by," she  said.  "Enderby  was  at  the  Sanatorium 
to-night  seeing  his  girl.  We  had  the  two  of  them 
together,  and  this  traitor  double-crossed  us  I" 

They  began  to  move  threateningly  towards  my 
corner. 

"Keep  back  I"  cried  Lorina.  "Let's  hear  what 
he  has  to  say  first." 

I  licked  my  dry  lips  and  did  the  best  I  could  for 
myself.  "You've  got  no  proof  I"  I  cried.  "How 
could  I  have  sent  a  telegram.  I  was  never  out  of 
Freer's  sight.  Why  should  I  have  signed  it  Ender- 
by if  Enderby  was  out  there  ?  You  all  know  I'm  no 
bull  but  a  workman  at  Dunsany's.  I  can  account 
for  every  minute  of  my  time  since  Jumbo  first  picked 
me  up  I" 

Lorina  was  nearer  me  than  any  of  the  men.  She 
took  a  step  forward.  I  guarded  my  face.  But 
that  was  not  her  point  of  attack.  Her  hand  shot 
out,  and  the  wig  was  snatched  from  my  head.  There 
I  stood  with  my  bare  poll.     The  jig  was  up, 

A  loud  laugh  broke  from  the  men — ^jackals'  laugh- 


Thieves'  V/it 


315 


ter,  before  tearing  their  prey.     A  different  kind  of 
sound  came  from  Freer. 

"My  God!  it's  Mr.  Dunsany!"  he  gasped. 

"Eh?"8aidLorina. 

"Walter  Dunsany,"  he  repeated,  staring  as  if  he 
saw  a  ghost. 

"Is  this  true?"  she  demanded  of  me. 

I  felt  as  if  the  worst  were  over  now.  A  sudden 
calmness  descended  on  me.  It  was  a  sort  of  relief 
to  be  able  to  be  myself.    "Quite  true,"  I  said. 

"What's  your  game?"  she  demanded  scowling. 

"Do  you  need  to  ask?" 

There  was  a  commotion  among  the  men.  I  heard 
different  exclamations  and  demands.  Some  were 
for  despatching  me  on  the  spot ;  one  suggested  I  be 
held  for  a  million  dollars'  ransom. 

Lorina  turned  on  the  last  speaker.  "You  fool !" 
she  cried.  "Ten  millions  wouldn't  save  him  1  He 
gets  a  perpetual  lodging  in  my  cellar!" 

Cries  of  approval,  more  laughter  greeted  this. 

From  her  dress  Lorina  drew  the  gun  I  had  given 
her  a  little  while  before.  "Hands  up!"  she  com- 
manded. 

Now  I  knew  it  was  not  loaded,  and  I  had  a  loaded 
gun  in  my  pocket.  But  so  had  every  other  man 
there,  and  all  had  more  practice  in  drawing  their 
weapons  than  I.  So  I  thought  it  best  to  obey.  Up 
went  my  hands. 

"Foxy,  Jim,  frisk  him!"  said  Lorina. 

They  found  the  gun,  and  flung  it  on  the  dak. 


3i6 


Thieves'  Wit 


Lorina  dropped  it  in  the  middle  drawer.     There 
was  nothing  else  incriminating  upon  me 

Down  on  the  floor  with  himi"  cried  somebody. 

findirL  ••"  '"""''•  "^^•"  "•=  -''-  -  - 

"slT^t'  "'  *'''  little  straw  of  hope  that  showed. 

Send  them  out  and  I'll  talk  freely,"  I  „,uttered. 

I  ve  no  mmd  to  be  shot  when  I'm  not  looking." 
Uvcr-confidence  betrayed  her.     With  a  mm   In 
her  l..d  she  felt  herself  more  than  a  matcJ  f^a  J 
unarmed   man.     By  a   fatal   oversight   she   never 

ruttV:  "\''  '"  7"^°"  "''^  '-'^'^-    She  d"r 

tholft  """KT  ^"'  "  ^  '^"^^-  ''"'J  P"haps  she 
thought  I  might  have  something  to  say  which  it  was 
better  they  shouldn't  hear.  They  grumbleJ  Z 
she  was  absolute  mistress  there.  She  ordered  the.^ 
out  of  the  room. 

"Shut  the  door,"  she  said.    "Wait  outside.    Do 
not  come  in  unless  I  call  you." 

Jrli^  T^^  *'',  ""'*  '^°°'  '°^'''^'  '•"d  get  my  gun 
a  iS.  l"T  ''""?  '^!'  ^"^'^  ''PP''^'*'^  *h<.  win'dfws 
to  ston  1  "  K '"'■  ^u  ""'  "''"^'  "°  ""°"''  »«empt 
Iha? Kf  ttrom'"^  ^^^  "°  ^°^^'"^  ""P'  '" 
''What  have  you  got  to  tell  me?"  she  said. 

second  t"     i^"  ^"^ '°  ^°''^"  ^  P^"''''^-     Every 
second  I  could  gain  was  precious. 

"Stand    still  1"    she    commanded.     "Where    is 
Fnderby  to-night?"  " 

'At  the  Sanatorium,  you  said." 
■      "^'  returned  on  the  same  train  you  did." 


Thieves'  Wit 


317 


"I  didn't  know  it.     I  wish  I  had." 
"Well,  where  is  he  now?" 
"At  the  Rotterdam,  I  suppose." 

watdJed'-^'  "°*  """"  '""'^  ^^"'''     ^  '"''"'  ^^^  P^'" 
"Then  I  don't  know  where  he  is." 
"You  lie  1     Where  do  you  have  your  meetings  ?" 
We  have  never  met  but  once  since  I've  been  on 
the  case. 

''Do  you  expect  me  to  believe  that  ?    Stand  still  I" 

1  don  t  care  whether  you  believe  it  or  not.    It's 
the  truth." 

Meanwhile  I  was  moving  a  few  inches  at  a  time 
around  the  wall  towards  the  door  the  men  had  gone 
out  by.  Smce  Lorina  knew  the  dozen  of  them  were 
just  outside  the  door,  indeed  we  could  hear  them, 
she  cared  little.  My  hands  were  still  elevated  of 
course. 

''How  do  you  communicate  with  him?"  she  asked 
By  letter  or  telephone.' 

"Where?" 

"At  the  Rotterdam." 

Her  eyes  glittered.  "I've  had  enough  of  this 
foohng,"  she  said.  "If  you've  got  anything  that's 
^'orth  my  while  you'd  better  say  it.  My  finger's 
impatient."  ^    ^     ' 

ton."".<WK'  ^7  7f1^'  ^''-  ^  '^°P''^  '^  shining 
tone.  -Why  should  I  split  on  Enderby?  You're 
jioing  to  croak  me  anyway.     What'U  you  do  for  me 


H 


3i8 


Thieves'  Wit 


"For  the  last  time,  tell  me  what  you  know,  or  I'll 
hand  you  over  to  the  boys  1"  said  Lorina. 

I  had  reached  the  door  now.  The  key  was  in  it. 
I  had  calculated  every  move  in  advance.  Down 
came  my  hands,  I  turned  the  key,  and  flung  it  out  of 
the  open  window.  Lorina  began  to  shoot.  The 
gun  makes  so  little  noise  at  any  time  that  she  had 
pulled  the  trigger  several  times  before  she  realised 
it  was  not  loaded.  By  that  time  I  was  half  way 
back  to  the  desk.  I  got  the  drawer  open  and  my 
hand  on  my  gun,  as  she  leaped  on  my  back.  I  flung 
her  ofi. 

She  was  crying  for  help  by  this  time.  The  men 
outside  tried  the  door,  then  flung  themselves  against 
it.  It  could  not  hold  long  against  that  weight.  But 
I  needed  only  a  few  seconds.  I  reached  the  window 
over  the  portico.  Somehow  or  other  I  slid  down  a 
pillar  to  the  steps.  As  soon  as  my  feet  touched 
something  solid  I  fired  three  shots  in  the  air.  This 
was  the  pre-arranged  signal  to  the  men  in  the  hotel. 
I  vaulted  over  the  balustrade,  and  crouched  in 
the  areaway  of  the  adjoining  house  out  of  range  of 
any  shots  from  the  windows.  Foxy  undertook  to 
follow  me.  As  he  dropped  to  the  stoop  I  shot  him 
in  the  legs.  He  fell  in  a  heap.  The  others  look- 
ing out,  thought  better  of  imitating  him. 

Almost  immediately  the  men  came  running  out  of 
the  hotel,  and  Lorina's  gang  disappeared  like  magic 
from  the  windows.  But  as  it  had  been  arranged 
that  some  of  the  detectives  were  to  approach  over 


Thieves'  Wit 


319 


the  back  fences,  and  others  by  the  roof,  I  had  no 
fear  they  would  escape  us. 

The  rest  is  soon  told.  When  we  broke  in  the 
door  we  heard  Lorina  commanding  the  men  not  to 
shoot.  As  the  police  crowded  into  the  hall,  she 
came  towards  us  head  up,  and  with  superb  insolence 
demanded  to  know  the  meaning  of  the  outrage. 
I'm  afraid  I  indulged  in  rude  laughter. 

The  police  were  amply  provided  with  handcuffs. 
We  secured  the  prisoners  two  by  two,  searched  them, 
and  carted  them  off  in  the  patrol  wagon  that  was 
summoned  by  telephone.  The  bag  was  Lorina, 
Jumbo,  Foxy  (not  seriously  wounded),  Jim,  Freer, 
seven  other  men  and  the  three  negroes.  Blondy 
escaped  in  safety  according  to  your  instructions. 
There  was  much  mystification  expressed,  since  the 
house  was  guarded  front,  rear  and  roof,  and  every 
corner  of  the  interior  was  searched.  Of  course,  I 
made  a  great  fuss  about  it. 

The  lieutenant  of  police  reported  the  haul  to 
Inspector  Lanman,  who  arrived  bye  and  bye  with 
other  high  police  officials  in  an  automobile.  You 
ought  to  have  been  there  too.  I  was  wild  at  my 
inability  to  get  hold  of  you.  I  used  all  the  eloquence 
at  my  command  appealing  to  Lanman  not  to  disturb 
anything  in  the  house,  and  not  to  have  the  prisoners 
questioned  until  we  could  get  hold  of  you.  He 
agreed. 

I  am  remaining  here  in  the  house  to  see  that  his 
orders  in  that  connection  are  obeyed,  and  also  on  the 
chance  that  other  members  of  the  gang  wiy  come  in. 


320 


Thieves'  Wit 


We  have  all  of  them  that  matter  though — except  the 
grand  boss.  Unfortunately  the  noise  of  this  cap- 
ture will  give  him  warning,  but  I  have  done  the  best 
I  could.  Lorina's  other  establishment  is  well- 
guarded,  but  will  not  be  broken  into  until  morning. 
Come  quickly  when  you  get  this. 

Walter  Dunsany. 
(J.  M.  no  longer.) 


31 

n^HE  tremendous  popular  excitement  that  fol- 
X    lowed  on  the  capture  of  Lorina  and  her  gang 
does  not  help  on  my  story,  so  I  will  pass  over  it 
quickly.     The  haul  we  made  in  the  modern  cave  r.t 
Aladdm  staggered  the  public  imagination.     Much 
agamst  Mr.  Dunsany's  advice  the  jewels  were  pub- 
licly  exhibited  in  police  headquarters  for  three  days 
Mr.  Dunsany  and  I  were  elevated  into  the  position 
of  newspaper  heroes.     He  at  least  deserved  it,  bu^ 
1  doubt  if  he  enjoyed  his  honours.     I  know  I  didn't 
enjoy  what  fell  to  me.     I  couldn't  help  but  think 
f  we  had  only  been  able  to  hush  up  this  noise  for 
twenty-four  hours,  maybe  the  grand  boss  of  the  out- 
fit might  have  walked  into  our  welcoming  arms 

I  will  simply  say  that  a  thorough  combing  of 
Lorina  s  house,  and  of  her  offices,  revealed  no^the 
slightest  bu  of  evidence  leading  to  the  man  we 
ought.  She  was  a  wonder  at  covering  her  tracks. 
In  the  midst  of  all  the  popular  praises  I  was  dis- 
couraged.  There  was  nothing  as  far  as  I  could  see 
to  prevent  the  organiser  of  the  gang  from  presently 
organising  another.  Meanwhile  I  was  in  hourly  ex- 
oftbuHet  ""''''"*  *""  compliments  in  the  shape 
I  had  one  small  hope  left,  and  that  was  in  Blondy. 
ifte  fact  of  his  escape  had  been  duly  published,  and 

3" 


322 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  was  praying  that  Lorina,  deprived  now  of  any 
better  instrument  might  be  led  to  use  him.  I  care- 
fully stayed  away  from  the  boy,  keeping  in  touch 
with  him  by  letter  and  phone.  I  would  not,  of 
course,  put  him  up  to  communicating  with  Lorina. 
That  would  instantly  have  aroused  her  suspicions. 
Any  move  must  come  from  her.  I  append  some  of 
Blondy's  letters. 

July  loth. 
Dear  Mr,  Enderby: 

The  house  was  pinched  last  night,  as  you  know 
by  this  time.  I  hau  gniie  to  the  back  room  on  the 
third  floor  by  myself  because  I  thought  they  were 
going  to  murder  a  man  in  the  office,  and  I  was  sick- 
ened by  it.  I  don't  know  If  he  got  away  or  not.  I 
suppose  the  whole  story  will  be  in  the  evening  pa- 
pers. Anyhow  I  heard  the  three  shots  outside,  which 
vou  told  me  would  be  the  signal,  so  I  beat  it  up  the 
ladder  to  the  scuttle.  You  told  me  if  any  one  else 
tried  to  get  out  that  way,  I  was  to  let  them  go  on 
ahead  of  me  and  hide  in  the  hall  closet,  but  I  was  all 
alone.  There  was  a  deuce  of  a  racket  down-stairs. 
The  servants  in  the  front  room  were  hollering,  but 
they  didn't  come  out.  I  got  out  on  the  roof  and  met 
the  detectives  coming  over  from  the  hotel.  They 
grabbed  me  and  threw  a  light  in  my  face.  Seeing 
who  it  was  they  let  me  go.  I  was  glad.  I  was 
afraid  maybe  you  had  forgotten  to  give  them  in- 
structions. I  went  down  to  the  street  through  the 
hotel,  and  chased  home  as  quick  as  I  could.  Ac- 
cording to  your  instructions  I  shall  go  on  living  here 
as  usual  until  I  hear  from  you. 

Yours  respectfully, 

Ralph  Andrus. 


Thieves'  Wit 


323 


For  nearly  a  week  nothing  of  any  importance  hap- 
pened.    Then  I  received  this: 

Dear  Mr.  Enderby: 

I  called  you  up  this  morning  to  tell  you  about  the 
lawyer  coming  to  the  association  rooms  to  see  me. 
This  afternoon  I  went  down  to  his  office  as  you 
told  me  I  should.  The  fellow  said  he  was  one  of 
the  lawyers  hired  by  Mrs.  Mansfield  to  defend  her, 
and  she  had  given  him  my  name  to  see  if  I  would 
make  a  witness  on  her  side  at  the  trial.  Then  he 
put  me  through  a  cross-examination  that  lasted  a 
couple  of  hours.  I  was  kind  of  flustered  by  it,  be- 
cause I  didn't  know  how  you  would  have  wanted 
me  to  answer  his  questions.  But  you  told  me  if  I 
didn't  know  what  to  say  to  tell  the  truth.  So  I  did. 
The  only  time  I  lied  was  when  he  asked  me  how  I 
got  out  of  the  house  that  night.  I  said  when  I  got 
out  on  the  roof  I  saw  the  officers  coming,  and  hid 
behind  a  chimney  till  they  passed.  It  seems  I  didn't 
know  enough  about  the  gang  one  way  or  another 
to  make  any  difference.  The  lawyer  told  me  to 
keep  my  mouth  shut  if  I  wanted  to  stay  out  of 
trouble,  gave  me  a  couple  of  dollars  and  sent  me 
home.  I  hope  I  handled  this  matter  right. 
Yours  respectfullv, 

'     R.A. 

The  lawyer  Plondy  referred  to  was  a  junior  part- 
ner in  one  of  the  best-known  firms  engaged  in  crimi- 
nal cases.  It  had  been  announced  that  this  firm  had 
been  retained  by  Lorina.  Since  the  lawyer  had  ap- 
proached the  boy  openly  there  could  be  no  doubt 
but  that  he  himself  was  acting  in  good  faith.     I 


334 


Thieves'  Wit 


could  not  but  feel  though  that  there  wai  lomething 
behind  this  viiit,  because,  of  course,  Lorina  knew 
that  Blondy  could  tell  next  to  nothing  about  her 
affairs,  and  that  little  not  to  her  credit. 

I  finally  decided  that  she  must  have  used  the  young 
lawyer  as  a  kind  of  cat's-paw  to  discover  Blondy's 
situation  and  present  disposition  towards  herself. 
If  I  was  right  there  would  no  doubt  be  develop- 
ments presently.  I  awaited  the  event  in  na  little 
anxiety. 

Sure  enough,  three  days  later  Blondy  called  me  up 
to  tell  me  he  had  just  received  a  long  letter  from 
Lorina  that  I  ought  to  read  at  once.  I  arranged  to 
meet  him  in  an  hour  at  the  office  of  the  doctor  who 
had  first  brought  us  together.  He  was  instructed 
to  make  sure  that  he  was  not  followed  there. 

Lorina's  letter  enclosed  a  second  letter.  The 
enclosure  was  not  sealed.  The  friendly  tone  of  the 
first  so  different  from  Lorina's  attitude  towards  him 
out  of  jail,  excited  the  boy's  derision.     It  read: 

Dear  Blondy: 

I  am  so  glad  you  made  your  getaway.  The 
lawyer  told  me  about  it.  You  certainly  were  lucky. 
He  tells  me  you  are  broke.  I  have  been  worrying 
about  this.  He  will  take  this  letter  out  to  post,  but 
he  doesn't  know  what  I  am  going  to  say  to  you. 
That's  between  ourselves.  I  know  I  can  count  on 
you  not  to  split  on  a  pal.  Bum  this  as  soon  as  you 
get  the  contents  fixed  in  your  mind. 

I  can't  send  you  anything  from  here,  because  these 


Thieves'  Wit 


325 


devils  have  itripped  me  They  have  even  taken  my 
Keya,  to  I  can  t  lend  and  get  mto  my  safety  deposit 
box  for  funds.  But  if  you  wiU  help  me,  I'll  be  in  a 
position  to  do  something  handsome  for  you.  I  have 
a  duphcate  set  of  keys  that  nobody  knows  about,  and 
I  want  you  to  aet  them  for  me. 
.  I  enclose  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Bradford  who  is  the 
janitress  of  the  house  at  No  —  East  Fifty-Ninth 
street.  I  kept  a  room  there  that  I  could  go  to  when 
I  wanted,  to  be  quiet.  Read  the  enclosed  letter 
then  seal  it  so  she  will  think  you  don't  know  what's 
in  It.    Do  everything  just  as  the  letter  says.    Don't 

Ynf  ilft^fi  T«.'"',"„'^":  W«t«ns  to  this  woman. 
You  will  find  fiftv  dollars  in  my  pocketbook  there. 
Give  her  thirty  for  the  rent  and  ten  for  herself. 
You  keep  the  other  ten.    Get  a  receipt  for  the  rent. 

of  ll,,J"^'  "%'"  ^^f  pocketbook.  Be  very  careful 
ot  them.    In  a  few  days  a  man  will  call  you  up  and 

and  he  will  say  Thomas  Wilkinson.  Then  he  will 
tell  you  what  to  do,  and  you  must  obey 
rJm.,^^  ^'  w  ^l  *°°^,  "  >'  ««»  *«  keys  and 
\!?,Twir^  ^u^u'  Y.'"  ""<*  y°"  "^e  thousand  dol- 
lars  in  bills,  which  wiU  set  you  up  in  business  or  give 
you  a  Bood  time,  whichever  you  like. 

If  this  turns  out  all  right  there  wiU  be  a  chance 
tor  you  to  make  other  good  things  out  of  the  crowd. 
^^_  1  enclose  the  combination  to  the  safe  on  a  separate 

Take  care  of  yourself, 

With  love, 

LORINA. 

P.S.  You  mustn't  think  from  my  letter  to  Mrs.  B. 
that  I  do  not  trust  you.    That's  just  to  stall  her  off. 


326  Thieves'  Wit 

The  encloiure  was  a  masterpiece. 

Dear  Mrs.  Bradford: 

I  have  been  taken  real  sick,  threatened  with  ner- 
vous prostration  they  say.    I  have  had  to  go  to  Dr. 

s  sanatorium  at  Amityville.    Don't  know  how 

long  I'll  be  here.  Now  Mrs.  Bradford,  I'm  in  a  fix 
because  I've  lost  my  keys.  I  keep  duplicates  in  my 
safe,  and  so  I'm  sending  my  nephew  to  you  with  this 
to  get  them.  He  has  wavy,  blond  hair  and  blue 
eyes,  and  nice  white  teeth.  He  slurs  his  rs  a  little 
when  he  talks  like  a  child.  So  he  will  call  you  Mrs. 
B'adfo'd.    These  details  will  identify  him  to  you. 

Please  let  him  into  my  room  with  your  pass-key, 
and  remain  with  him  while  he  is  there.  Not  but 
what  he  is  a  good  boy,  but  boys  will  be  boys  you 
know.  Don't  let  him  see  this.  I  have  given  him  the 
combination  of  my  safe.  Inside  is  an  old  handbag 
with  fifty  dollars  in  it  and  a  bunch  of  keys.  He  will 
give  you  thirty  dollars  of  it  for  the  rent,  and  ten 
for  your  trouble.  Nothing  else  in  the  safe  must 
be  touched.  Thanking  you  for  your  trouble, 
Yours  sincerely, 
(Mrs.)  Ei-izABETH  Watkins. 

P.S.    I  hope  your  rheumatism  is  better. 

I  made  copies  of  the  letters  and  the  safe  combina- 
tion, and  told  Blondy  to  go  ahead  and  do  exactly 
as  he  had  been  told.  I  suspected  from  Lorina's 
care  that  the  little  safe  would  make  interesting  dis- 
closures. However,  I  could  get  into  it  some  other 
time.  I  was  inclined  to  believe  her  story  about  the 
safety  deposit  box.     Like  all  first-class  liars  she 


Thieves'  Wit 


327 


wove  truth  into  her  lies  whti  she  could.  I  was 
hoping,  while  scarcely  daring  to  hope,  that  in  a  mat- 
ter of  such  vital  importance  she  would  not  dare 
trust  any  one  short  of  the  "boss"  himself.  If  he 
would  only  come  after  the  keys ! 
Next  day  I  got  the  following  letter  from  Blondy. 

Dear  Mr.  Enderby: 

n  ^jr'*^/^"^**'"8  J"'*  *«  '•»«  Je"«r  sa'd-  Mrs. 
Bradford  was  a  suspicious  kind  of  woman.  She 
lived  in  a  cellar  kind  of  place  below  the  street  level. 
i>txe  asked  me  about  a  thousand  questions  before  she 
would  let  me  in.  But  I  wasn't  afraid  of  her  Sus- 
picious people  are  generally  easy  to  fool.* 

•  V  "T.E^st  Fifty-Ninth  street  is  an  old  build- 
ing that  IS  let  out  in  stores  and  studios.  Mrs.  Mans- 
held  s  room  was  second  floor  rear.  I  couldn't  look 
around  much  the  old  woman  watched  me  so  close. 
It  was  just  an  ordinary  furnished  room,  nothing 
rich  like  the  Lexington  avenue  house.  There  was 
an  alcove  with  a  bed  in  it.  The  only  thing  funny 
was  the  number  of  trunks  standing  around.  I  count- 
ed seven  of  them.  They  had  covers  and  cushions 
on  them. 

The  safe  was  a  little  one.  I  opened  it  all  right 
There  was  nothing  in  the  main  part  but  a  lot  of 
papers  and  the  little  satchel.  There  was  an  inside 
locked  compartment.  After  I  locked  the  safe  again 
the  old  woman  made  me  destroy  the  combination 
before  her  eyes.  I  paid  her  the  money,  put  the  keys 
in  my  pocket,  and  she  hustled  me  out.  That's  all. 
Yours  respectfully, 

R.  A. 

*  Pretty  good  observation  for  eighteen  years  old  I 

B.  E. 


328 


Thieves'  Wit 


After  this  followed  a  period  of  strained  anxiety 
for  me.  I  could  not  stay  near  Blondy,  of  course, 
and  I  was  afraid  the  man  we  hoped  to  get  might 
circumvent  him  in  some  way.  Maybe  instead  of 
telephoning  him  he  would  call  on  him  in  person. 
Blondy  was  instructed  of  course  in  that  event  to 
hang  on  to  him  like  grim  death,  but  how  could  I 
expect  a  boy  of  his  age  to  get  the  better  of  an  astute 
crook? 

However,  this  fear  proved  groundless.  On 
Thursday  morning  about  eleven  Blondy  called  me 
up.  I  instantly  knew  by  his  breathlessness  that 
something  had  happened. 

"Guy  just  called  up,"  said  Blondy.  "Said:  'Have 
you  got  the  keys?'  I  came  back:  'Who  are  you?' 
'Thomas  Wilkinson.'  'O.K.,*  said  I.  Then  he 
started  in  quick  to  give  me  my  instructions." 

"I  must  take  the  twelve  noon  train  from  the  Long 
Island  Termbal  for  Greenwood  City.  I  get  off  at 
Greenwood  City  and  walk  one  block  North  to  Suf- 
folk avenue  which  is  the  main  street  of  the  village.  I 
turn  to  the  right  on  Suffolk  which  is  to  say  turn 
East  or  away  from  New  York,  and  keep  straight 
on  right  out  of  town  to  the  wide,  empty  stretch  of 
land  that  they  call  Ringstead  plains.  I  have  to  walk 
about  two  miles  out  this  road.  Half  a  mile  beyond 
the  last  house  there's  a  locust  tree  beside  the  road. 
He  said  I  couldn't  miss  it  because  it  was  the  only 
tree  standing  by  itself  as  far  as  you  could  see. 
Motor  cars  pass  up  and  down  the  road  frequently. 
But  I  must  not  accept  a  ride  if  it's  offered  to  me. 


Thieves'  Wit 


329 


I  must  sit  down  under  this  tree  as  if  I  was  tired  and 
stay  there  ten  minutes  or  so,  until  anybody  who  may 
have  seen  me  stop  there  will  iiave  passed  out  of  sight. 
Then  I  am  to  leave  the  keys  on  the  ground  behind 
the  tree  and  walk  back  to  Greenwood  City,  and  take 
the  first  train  for  New  York.  If  he  gets  the  keys 
all  right,  he  said  he  would  send  the  money  b  a  pack- 
age by  mail  to-morrow." 

I  made  notes  of  all  this  while  the  boy  was  speak- 
ing. 

"Is  it  all  right?"  he  asked  anxiously. 

"Finer  I  said. 

"But  the  twelve  o'clock  train  I  It's  quarter  past 
eleven  now.  I  wanted  to  put  him  off  to  give  you 
more  time,  but  you  said  do  exactly  what  he  said." 

"Quite  right,"  I  said.  "Run  along  and  get  your 
train.  Follow  your  instructions  exactly  and  leave 
the  rest  to  me." 


32 

TIME  was  very  precious,  but  I  allowed  myself  a 
few  minutes  for  hard,  concentrated  thought. 
I  believed  that  Blondy  would  be  under  surveillance 
from  the  time  he  left  the  Association  rooms  until  he 
reached  th?  appointed  spot.  Evidently  my  man  was 
aware  of  v'le  advantage  to  himself  of  rushing  the 
thing  through,  and  it  was  likely  the  keys  would  be 
picked  up  within  a  few  minutes  of  the  time  they 
were  dropped.  At  any  rate  he  would  surely  come 
after  them  by  daylight,  for  night  would  make  an 
ambush  easy.  Therefore  it  was  up  to  me  to  make  my 
preparations  before  the  boy  got  there.  Not  very 
easy  when  he  was  already  about  to  start. 

My  man  had  had  several  days  in  which  to  find  the 
spot  near  New  York  best  suited  to  his  purpose. 
From  Blondy's  description  the  place  he  had  chosen 
must  be  bare  of  cover  in  miles.  "Thomas  Wilkin- 
son" would  come  in  an  automobile,  naturally,  and  if 
anything  in  the  vicinity  aroused  his  suspicions  he 
would  not  stop.  I  could  not  hope  to  pick  him  out 
among  all  who  passed.  It  was  a  tough  problem. 
I  called  up  Lanman  the  chief  of  the  detective 
bureau.  Nowadays  I  commanded  the  respect  of 
these  people. 

"Look  here,"  I  said,  "we  have  a  chance  to  take  the 
330 


Thieves'  Wit 


331 


boss  of  the  thief  trust  this  afternoon,  if  we  strike 
like  lightning." 
"Shootl"saidhe. 

"First,  send  me  quick  a  high-  owered  automobile 
with  a  nervy  chauffeur  and  two  operatives.  Have 
them  pick  me  up  at  the  Southwest  comer  of  Second 
avenue  and  59th  street,  Queensboro  bridge  plaza." 

"Right  1" 

"Next  get  together  five  other  good  cars  without 
any  distinctive  marks.  Come  yourself  in  one  of 
them,  and  bring  a  dozen  good  men.  Meet  me — let 
me  see —  What  town  is  there  near  Greenwood  City, 
Long  Island,  but  not  on  the  same  road?" 

"Ringstead,  two  miles  South." 

"Know  a  hotel  there?" 

"Mitchell's  a  road  house." 

"Good.  Have  your  five  cars  proceed  to 
Mitchell's  by  different  roads  as  quickly  as  possible.  I 
may  not  be  able  to  come  there  to  you,  but  wait  there 
for  further  instructions  by  telephone." 

"O.K.,"  he  said.  "We'll  be  on  the  way  in  ten 
minutes." 

"One  thing  more.  Bring  a  good  pair  of  field 
glasses." 

I  took  my  own  binoculars  and  a  gun.  On  the  way 
to  the  meeting-place  I  bought  a  road  map  of  Long 
Island.  The  car  was  already  waiting  for  me  at  the 
rpot  named.  Lanman  wa^  a  man  after  my  own 
heart. 

We  made  quick  time.    I  was  provided  with  a 


332 


Thieves'  Wft 


police  badge  in  case  any  of  the  local  constables 
should  object  to  our  rate  of  travel.  On  the  road 
I  studied  my  map  and  ^ot  the  lay  of  the  land  in  my 
head. 

It  was  twelve-five  when  we  reached  Greenwood 
City,  or  fifty  minutes  before  the  train  was  due.  As 
we  passed  the  railway  station  I  saw  a  car  already 
waiting  there,  and  I  wondered  idly  if  that  would  have 
anything  to  do  with  my  case.  It  was  a  very  dis- 
tinguished-looking car  of  a  foreign  make  with  a 
dark  green  body  of,  the  style  the  French  call  coupe 
de  ville.  It  seemed  a  little  odd  that  any  one  should 
choose  to  ride  in  a  closed  car  in  such  hot  weather. 
An  irreproachable  chauffeur  and  footman  waited 
near. 

We  turned  into  Suffolk  street,  and  hastened  on 
out  of  town  out  to  Ringstead  plains.  It  was  all 
just  as  Blondy  had  given  it  to  me  over  the  phone. 
There  was  the  last  house  at  the  edge  of  the  plain, 
and  half  a  mile  ahead  stood  the  lonely  locust  tree 
beside  the  road.  The  house  looked  as  if  it  mig^t 
belong  to  a  small  farmer  or  market  gardener. 
There  was  a  unall  bam  behind  it.  Ahead  of  us 
there  was  no  other  habitation  visible  as  far  as  we 
could  see. 

We  kept  on.  It  is  a  well-known  motor  road,  and 
we  passed  cars  from  time  to  time.  Earlier  and  later 
it  would  be  quite  crowded  I  expect,  but  this  was  one 
of  the  quietest  hours.  About  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  beyond  the  locust  tree  there  was  a  wood  that  I 


Thieves'  Wit 


333 


had  my  eye  on.     It  was  not  of  very  great  extent,  but 
showed  a  dense  growth  of  young  trees. 

Reaching  it,  I  found  to  my  great  satisfaction  that 
there  was  a  rough  wagon  track  leading  away  among 
the  trees.  I  had  the  chauffeur  turn  in  there.  There 
was  no  other  car  in  view  at  the  moment.  Within  a 
few  yards  the  wagon  track  curved  a  little,  and  we 
were  lost  to  view  from  the  road.  I  got  out  and 
made  my  way  to  the  edge  of  the  trees.  From  this 
point  I  found  I  could  overlook  the  locu-'  tree  with 
the  aid  of  my  binoculars. 

This  was  all  I  wanted.  I  gave  the  order  to  re- 
turn to  Greenwood  City.  A  little  further  in  the 
wood  there  was  a  clearing  sufficient  to  enable  us  to 
turn.  One  gets  over  the  ground  quickly  in  a  car, 
and  when  we  got  back  to  Greenwood  we  still  had 
twenty-fivc  minutes  before  the  train  was  due.  This 
place,  by  the  way,  is  not  a  city  at  all,  but  merely  a 
village  embowered  in  trees.  The  handsome  green 
car  was  still  waiting  at  the  station.  I  went  to  a 
hotel  to  telephone. 

To  my  joy  I  got  Lanman  on  the  phone  without 
delay. 

"I  am  here  at  Mitchell's  with  three  of  the  tars," 
he  said.  "The  other  two  were  sent  by  a  Rightly 
longer  route.     They  will  be  here  directly."  / 

"Take  three  cars  and  proceed  by  the  shortest 
route  to  Greenwood  City,"  I  said.  "Make  haste 
because  I  expect  my  man  on  the  train  from  town  in 
twenty  minutes,  and  you  must  get  through  the  vil- 
lage before  he  arrives," 


334 


Thieves'  Wit 


"We  can  be  there  !n  five,"  said  Lanman. 

"Turn  to  the  right  on  Suffolk  street  and  proceed 
out  on  the  plains.  A  mite  snd  a  half  out  of  town 
you  come  to  the  last  house.  It  is  a  grey  house  with- 
out any  trees  around  it ;  there  is  a  small  bam  behind 
it.  Stop  there  and  put  up  your  cars  in  the  barn  in 
such  a  way  that  you  can  run  them  out  quickly.  I 
don't  know  the  people  in  the  house.  I  have  no  rea- 
son to  believe  that  they  have  any  connection  with 
the  man  we  want,  but  you'll  have  to  use  your  judg- 
ment." 

I  went  on  to  explain  to  him  just  what  Blondy  was 
going  to  do,  and  how  I  expected  our  man  to  turn 
up  shortly  afterwards. 

"The  East  windows  of  the  house  overlook  the  lo- 
cust tree,"  I  went  on.  "Station  yourself  at  one  of 
them  with  your  glasses,  and  you  will  be  able  to  see 
whatever  happens  at  the  tree." 

"I  get  you,"  he  said.  "What  about  the  other  two 
cars?  One  of  them  is  just  turning  into  the  yard 
now." 

"Let  them  leave  Ringstead  by  Merton  street,"  I 
said,  consulting  my  map,  "and  proceed  East  to  the 
Joppa  Pike;  thence  North  to  the  Suffolk  pike  and 
turn  back  towards  Greenwood  City.  About  two 
miles  and  a  half  before  reaching  the  village,  more 
than  a  mile  beyond  the  house  where  you  will  be, 
there  is  a  small  wood  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the 
road.  There  is  a  wagon  track  leading  into  it. 
They  are  to  turn  in  there  and  diey  will  find  me  a 
little  way  inside." 


Thieves'  Wit  335 

.   "AH  right,"  Slid  Lanmin.     "The  Ust  car  i.  com- 
ing  now. 

"Listen,"  I  said.     "Our  man  without  doubt  will 

into  my  hands.  But  if  he  should  turn  around  and 
go  back  It's  up  to  you." 

"I  understand,"  said  Lanman  grimly. 

DO  Jo  !^'""!f '  ^'TJ  ''"  ''"''  "^  ""y  observation 
post  at  the  edge  of  the  wood.  I  had  not  been  there 
long  when  through  my  glasses  I  saw  a  car  turn 
into  the  farmer's  place.  A  second  and  a  third  car 
foUowed  at  short  mtervals.    In  a  quarter  of  an  hour 

Ste.5;rj?l'"  "' j°'"??  T'  ""^  •  ^'^  '»i"«« 
addition  to  the  chauffeur. 

We  turned  the  cars  around  and  stationed  them 
m  line  where,  though  they  were  invisible  from  the 
h^road  they  could  run  out  upon  it  in  a  few  sec 
onds.  The  other  side  of  the  highway  was  fenced. 
Having  completed  our  arrangements,  there  was  noth- 
ing  to  do  for  a  while,  and  I  told  the  men  to  take  it 

C3SV. 

.  ^""''^^"K  *o  my  calculations  Blondy  would  appear 
n  view  about  one-thirty.  It  was  a  long  walk  from 
he  station  and  a  hot  day.     Exactly  on  schedulH 

tsdf  through  the  glasses  into  the  figure  of  a  soli. 

It  was  Blondy.    So  far  so  good. 


^6 


Thieves'  Wit 


I  was  hfiag  on  the  ground  at  the  edge  of  the  lit- 
tle wood  with  the  glaiies  steadied  on  a  fallen  trunk. 
The  whole  flat  plain  wa>  spread  before  me.  The 
cart  were  about  thirty  yards  behind  me,  each  chauf- 
feur at  hit  wheel.  Between  me  and  them  I  had 
the  four  men  stationed  at  intervals  so  I  could  pass  a 
whispered  order  back. 

While  Blondy  was  covering  the  spivce  between  the 
house  and  the  locust  tree  a  green  car  hove  in  view  be- 
hind him,  which  I  presently  recognised  from  the  ir- 
reproachable chauffeur  and  footman  as  the  coupe  de 
mile.  It  overtook  the  walking  figure,  and  came  on 
up  the  road,  past  the  wood,  and  past  us.  I  won- 
dered if  our  man  was  now  inside. 

Blondy  reached  the  tree  at  last.  I  suspected  that 
he  welcomed  the  shade.  It  seemed  perfectly  nat- 
ural for  him  to  sit  down  under  it.  He  remained 
there  ten  minutes.  Several  cars  passed  to  and  fro 
and  one  of  them  stopped.  This  puzzled  me  for  a 
moment,  but  I  supposed  that  it  was  merely  some 
good  Samaritan  who  offered  the  perspiring  boy  a 
lift.  While  Blondy  was  sitting  there  the  green  car 
went  back.  I  was  pretty  sure  now  that  it  contained 
our  quarry. 

At  last  Blondy  got  up  and  started  back.  These 
periods  of  waiting  try  a  man's  nerves.  Mine  were 
pretty  well  on  edge  by  this  time.  It  seemed  to  take 
an  age  for  the  boy  to  retrace  his  steps  over  the  vis- 
ible part  of  the  road.  About  two  hundred  yards 
beyond  the  farmhouse  there  was  a  bend  in  it  which 
concealed  the  rest  from  my  view. 


Thieves'  Wit 


337 


A  minute  or  two  after  Blondy  ditappeared  from 
my  tight,  the  big  green  car  again  hove  into  view- 
around  the  bend.  My  heart  hit  up  a  few  extra 
beats. 

"Get  ready,"  I  sent  word  along  the  line. 
To  my  great  disappointment  it  did  not  stop  at  the 
tree.  It  came  on,  and  passed  the  wood  again  with 
the  loud  purr  of  new  tires.  However,  I  explained 
it  to  myself  by  the  fact  that  there  was  another  car 
in  view  at  the  moment.  I  set  myself  to  wait  in  the 
expectation  of  his  return. 

In  live  minutes  return  he  did,  but  this  time  there 
was  a  car  close  behind,  and  once  more  he  passed 
out  of  sight  without  stopping.  I  hoped  that  Lan- 
man  had  marked  the  passing  and  repassing  of  the 
fashionable  car. 

It  was  now  past  two  o'clock,  and  the  hottest  part 
of  the  day  was  coming  on.  A  haze  of  heat  undu- 
lated shimmeringly  over  the  pi; "  Our  tempers 
suffered.  There  in  the  little  wooo  we  were  in  the 
shade,  it  is  true,  but  there  was  not  a  breath  of  air 
stirring,  and  the  mosquitoes  were  busily  plying  their 
trade.  The  men  breathed  hard,  and  wiped  the'r 
faces.  At  first  they  had  taken  their  coats  off,  but 
finding  the  insects  co-  ;d  bite  through  their  shirt- 
sleeves they  had  put  them  on  again.  I  had  thrown 
off  my  hot  wig.  A  disguise  was  unnecessary  now. 
Once  more  the  green  car  turned  into  sight  beyond 
the  farmhouse.  This  time  the  road  was  empty  and 
my  heart  beat  hopefully.  Sure  enough  it  stopped 
opposite  the  locust  tree. 


338 


Thieves'  Wit 


"Start  your  enginei,"  I  whispered  along  the  line. 

A  man  alighted  from  the  coupe  and  walked  to  the 
tree.  A  Panama  hat  shaded  his  face  and  I  could 
not  get  a  good  look  at  it.  He  walked  around  the 
tree  and  seemed  to  be  gazing  up  in  its  branches,  as 
well  as  looking  down  at  the  roots.  I  could  not  un- 
derstand this  evolution,  still  I  was  pretty  sure  that 
I  saw  him  stoop  and  pick  something  up. 

He  returned  to  his  car,  and  it  started  forward. 

"Go  ahead,"  I  said  to  my  men. 

They  knew  what  they  had  to  do.  I  lingered  a 
moment  to  see  whether  he  was  going  to  turn  around 
or  come  on.  He  came  straight,  faster  than  he  had 
been  travelling.     I  ran  after  my  cars. 

According  to  instructions  they  moved  out  in  line 
across  the  road,  completely  blocking  it.  I  timed  it 
as  closely  as  I  could,  but  unfortunately  the  road  was 
perfectly  straight.  With  the  appearance  of  the  first 
car  out  of  the  wood,  the  green  car  took  the  alarm. 
We  heard  the  creech  of  the  brakes.  They  came  to 
a  stop  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  Those  town  cars  can- 
turn  almost  in  their  own  length.  Around  they  went 
and  back  with  the  exhaust  opened  wide. 

We  jumped  aboard  our  cars  and  as  soon  as  we 
could  disentangle  ourselves  took  after  them.  They 
were  half  a  mile  away  when  we  got  straightened  out. 
Now  if  only  Lanman  did  not  fail  me  I 

To  my  joy,  away  ahead  I  saw  the  police  cars 
slowly  move  one,  two,  three  across  the  road.  We 
had  him  trapped  1  Once  more  the  green  car  stopped 
in  a  cloud  of  dust. 


Thieves'  Wit 


339 


Laiunan  and  I  approaching  from  opposite  direc- 
tiom,  reached  it  limultaneously.  We  had  our  suns 
out. 

"What'i  the  matter  with  you?"  the  angry,  fright- 
ened chauffeur  cried. 

We  paid  small  attention  to  him.  I  and  my  gun 
looked  into  the  coupe  together.  Lanman  ran 
around  to  the  other  door.  In  the  comer  of  the  seat 
I  saw,  exquisite,  immaculate— Alfred  Mount  I 

"Youl"  he  gasped. 

"Youl"  I  cried. 

Of  the  two  I  was  the  more  surprised.  For  the 
moment  I  was  incapable  of  moving. 

He  did  not  speak  again,  nor  attempt  to  get  up. 
Through  the  front  window  of  the  coupe  he  saw  the 
small  crowd  of  detectives  gathering.  The  light  died 
out  of  those  bright,  black  eyes.  He  clapped  the 
back  of  his  hand  to  his  mouth  as  you  have  seen 
women  do  in  moments  of  despair.  The  hand 
dropped  nervelessly  in  his  lap.  Before  my  eyes  his 
face  turned  livid.  His  body  stiffened  out  in  a  hor- 
rible brief  spasm,  and  he  fell  over  sideways  on  the 
scat — deadl 

My  eyes  and  Lanman's  were  glued  alike  in  hor- 
ror to  the  corpse.  The  left  hand,  a  hand  too  ele- 
gant for  a  man's  had  now  dropped  to  the  floor. 
A  glance  at  it  explained  the  tragedy.  An  immense 
flat  emerald  on  the  ring  finger  was  sprung  back 
revealing  a  tiny  cup  beneath.  The  chief  and  I 
looked  at  each  other  in  understanding. 


340 


Thieves'  Wit 


We  were  recalled  to  practical  matters  by  the  im- 
perious tooting  of  a  horn  up  the  road.  One  oncom- 
ing chauffeur  naturally  objected  to  the  barricade  of 
automobiles.  Lanman  and  I  alike  dreaded  the  ir- 
ruption of  foolish  curiosity-seekers.  At  a  word 
from  me  he  hustled  the  detectives  into  their  re- 
spective cars,  and  got  them  straightened  out  They 
were  all  ordered  back  to  headquarters.  All  this 
happened  within  a  few  moments.  I  don't  believe 
any  of  the  detectives  realised  that  the  man  was  dead. 

None  of  the  engines  had  stopped  and  we  quickly 
had  the  road  dear.  Lanman  and  I  thought  so  much 
alike  in  this  crisis  that  it  was  hardly  necessary  to 
talk.  We  got  into  the  coupe  with  its  ghastly  bur- 
den and  without  touching  it,  sat  down  on  the  two 
little  seats  facing  it.  A  glance  at  th^  police  badge 
was  sufficient  for  the  chauffeur. 

"Your  master  has  had  a  stroke,"  I  said  to  him. 
"Take  us  to  his  home  as  soon  as  possible." 

Lanman  nodded  his  approval. 

When  we  got  Mount's  body  to  his  rooms,  we  sent 
for  his  doctor,  one  of  the  most  famous  practition- 
ers in  town,  also  for  the  commissioner  of  police  and 
for  Mr.  Walter  Dunsany. 

When  the  five  of  us  were  gati.cied  together,  we 
consulted,  and  finally  put  it  up  to  the  commissioner 
to  dedde  what  ought  to  be  done  in  the  interests  of 
good  dtizenship.  After  listening  to  me,  to  Mr. 
Dunsany  and  to  the  doctor,  all  of  ^om  felt  the 
same,. though  for  different  reasons,  he  voted  with 
us.    We  agreed  that  Mount  had  taken  the  best  way 


Thieves'  Wit 


341 


out  under  the  circumstances.  None  of  us  wanted  to 
drag  his  dead  body  through  the  mire.  As  niu  h  of 
the  loot  as  could  be  recovered  was  already  recovered. 
None  of  us  wanted  to  see  any  more  scandal  aired  in 
the  newspapers.  Therefore  it  was  given  out  that 
Mr.  Mount  had  committed  suicide  while  motoring 
in  the  country,  and  no  cause  for  the  act  was  assigned. 
Of  course  I  told  Roland  and  Irma  the  truth,  so 
that  no  shadow  might  dim  their  future  happiness. 


33 


LITTLE  more  remains  to  be  told.  For  weeks 
afterwards  the  case  was  threshed  out  in  the 
newspapers,  but  nothing  was  brought  out  that  you 
do  not  already  know.  No  suspicion  attached  to 
Mount's  chauffeur  and  footman.  They  had  met 
him  at  the  Greenwood  City  station  according  to  or- 
ders. He  had  exclaimed  at  the  beauty  of  Ringstead 
plains,  and  they  thought  that  was  why  he  had  him- 
self carried  back  and  forth  so  many  times.  On  the 
last  journey  he  had  remarked  the  locust  tree,  speak- 
ing of  the  rarity  of  the  species,  and  had  ordered  them 
to  stop  so  that  he  could  examine  it.  They  knew 
nothing  about  trees,  of  course.  They  had  not  seen 
him  pick  up  the  keys. 

The  news  of  Mount's  death  took  all  the  iight  out 
of  Lorina.  Whatever  human  feeling  there  was  in 
that  woman  was  all  for  him.  It  appeared  that  her 
devotion  to  him  was  so  abject,  that  she  was  even 
willing  to  help  him  in  his  plotting  to  secure  Irma 
for  his  wife. 

The  thieves  were  sent  up  for  terms  more  or  less 
corresponding  to  the  degrees  of  their  guilt.  Lorina 
and  Foxy  are  still  there.  Jumbo  is  out  now,  and 
professes  to  have  reformed.  He  seems  to  bear  me 
no  malice,  and  occasionally  braces  me  for  a  small 
loan.    One  of  the  gang,  Bella  Bleecker,  escaped  for 

34a 


Thieves'  Wit 


343 


lack  of  evidence.  I  knew  that  she  was  one  of  Lo- 
rina's  creatures,  whom  Mount  had  placed  near  Irma 
as  a  spy,  but  there  was  nothing  to  connect  her  with 
the  thefts. 

There  was  one  mysterious  feature  of  the  case 
which  the  trial  did  not  clear  up,  i.  e.,  the  source  of 
Roland's  handsome  legacy.  I  had  my  susplcijns 
but  no  proof.  Mount's  doctor  was  one  of  his  ex- 
ecutors and  I  was  permitted  to  examine  the  dead 
man's  papers.  I  found  that  on  the  last  day  of 
March  previous  he  had  drawn  $40,000  in  cash. 

This  was  pretty  conclusive,  but  there  was  a  link 
of  evidence  still  missing.  Continuing  a  search  of 
Mount's  effects  I  found  a  receipted  bill  from  an  ob- 
scure lawyer  for  legal  services  rendered  about  this 
time.     I  looked  the  man  up. 

He  proved  to  be  a  seedy,  servile  little  creature, 
one  of  the  desperate  hangers-on  of  the  outer  fringe 
of  a  respectable  profession.  Mount  being  dead  and 
no  longer  a  possible  employer  it  was  easy  to  make 
the  lawyer  talk. 

Whether  or  not  he  knew  what  he  was  doing,  I 
can't  say.  He  claimed  that  Mount  had  told  him 
he  wished  to  do  something  for  a  worthy  young  fel- 
low who  was  too  proud  to  accept  anything  from  him 
direct.  He  then  laid  out  the  scheme  of  the  myste- 
rious, unhappy  lady  who  was  supposed  to  have  died 
leaving  Roland  Quarles  her  fortune.  Mount,  the 
lawyer  said,  supplied  the  ingenious  letter  that  was 
sent  to  Roland.  The  lawyer  carried  the  money  to 
the  trust  company. 


344 


Thieves'  Wit 


This  infonnation  dissipated  the  last  bit  of  mji- 
tery.  The  more  I  thought  over  it  the  more  I  mar- 
velled at  Mount.  Certainly  there  was  something 
magnificent  in  his  villainies.  Fancy  ^ving  your  rival 
forty  thousand  dollars  in  order  to  ruin  him  I  It 
was  clear  now  why  the  order  had  come  down  from 
above  to  Jumbo  to  sell  Irma's  pearls  to  Roland  at 
a  reduced  price.  I  wonder  if  ever  a  more  devilish 
plot  was  hatched  by  one  man  to  ruin  another.  And 
how  nearly  it  had  succeeded.  Mount  had  shown 
the  devil's  own  cunning  in  playing  on  the  weak  spots 
in  Irma  and  in  Roland. 

The  period  of  the  trial  was  a  hateful  time  for  all 
of  us.  Our  own  happiness  was  not  to  be  thought 
of  until  that  ordeal  was  over.  A  blessed  peace  de- 
scended on  us  when  the  last  verdict  was  rendered. 

The  blisful  event  occurred  in  October.  Irma  and 
Roland  insisted  that  Sadie  and  I  must  be  married  at 
the  same  time  they  were. 

The  double  event  took  place  in  the  Little  Church 
Around  the  Comer.  Only  Mr.  Dunsany,  Blondy, 
the  Doctor  and  a  few  others  were  present  We  all 
felt  as  if  we  had  had  enough  publicity  to  last  us  the 
rest  of  our  lives. 

Roland  insisted  on  returning  the  balance  of  his 
legacy  to  the  Mount  estxte.  I  thought  he  had  the 
beat  reason  in  the  world  for  hanging  on  to  it,  but 
that  was  Roland.  He  actually  wanted  Irma  to  turn 
over  her  pearls  to  the  executors,  less  what  she  had 
paid  for  ^em,  but  we  all  fougitt  him  on  diat.  She 
had  purchased  them  fairly,  I  insisted,  and  if  Mount 


Thieves'  Wit 


345 


had  named  too  low  a  price  that  was  his  affair.  He 
gave  in  when  I  pointed  out  that  was  the  cause  of 
her  pving  up  a  lucrative  profession,  and  he  had  no 
right  to  deprive  her  of  her  property  also. 

The  famous  blue  pearls  were  sold.  Part  of  the 
proceeds  was  devoted  to  the  purchase  of  a  fine  old 
manor  and  a  farm  on  the  Eastern  shore  of  Mary- 
land.  Roland  and  Irma  have  forsaken  the  foot- 
lights forever.  Farming  is  their  true  vocation,  they 
say,  and  nothing  could  ever  tempt  them  back. 

Mr.  Dunsany  has  ever  remained  my  firm  friend. 
He  insisted  on  rewarding  me  very  handsomely  for 
my  work  on  the  great  case,  though  I  considered  the 
reputation  it  brought  me  enough.  The  honour 
seems  likely  to  last  me  as  long  as  I  am  able  to  work. 
With  the  money  Sadie  and  I  decided  to  buy  a  smaller 
place  adjoining  our  friends.  Sadie  has  turned 
farmer,  too. 

I  can't  be  there  as  much  as  I  would  like.  After 
the  dust  and  danger  of  my  work  it  is  like  Heaven  to 
run  down  home.  At  first  Sadie  objected  strenu- 
ously to  this  arrangement.  She  said  she  expected 
to  continue  to  help  me  with  my  work.  That  was 
what  she  married  me  for,  she  said.  But  the  one 
fright  was  enough  for  me.  I  don't  hear  so  much 
about  her  desire  now.  Sadie  has  other  things  to  oc- 
cupy her  mind.     Yes,  three  of  them. 


THE  END 


